Fine needle aspiration cytology of solitary fibrous tumours of the pleura.
OBJECTIVE
To analyse fine needle aspirates from solitary fibrous tumour (SFT) of the pleura and to elucidate the cytological features unique to these tumours and differential diagnostic findings of benign and malignant SFTs.


METHODS
Fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology slides from eight cases of SFT of the pleura, including six benign and two malignant SFTs, were reviewed. The subsequent histological slides were also examined.


RESULTS
Cytological diagnoses from six histologically proven cases of benign SFTs were low-grade sarcoma (one), non-small cell carcinoma (one), malignant tumour (1) and benign (three). Two cases of malignant SFTs were cytologically diagnosed as malignancy. The aspirates showed a varying degree of cellularity. Most smears were composed of single, scattered fusiform cells, and irregular loose aggregates of oval to spindle cells intimately admixed with dense collagenous stroma. Two malignant SFTs had a greater number of cells in clusters, and displayed mitotic activity, without significant cytological atypia.


CONCLUSIONS
The diagnosis of SFT may be suggested by a combination of cytological and radiological findings. The precise determination of malignancy for SFT, however, is not usually straightforward on the basis of cytological features alone. The findings of highly cellular clusters and mitotic activity in the FNA cytological smear can help differentiate malignant from benign SFTs.
Cho
E Y
EY
Department of Pathology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Han
J J
JJ
Han
J
J
Oh
Y L
YL
D000328:Adult; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018218:Neoplasms, Fibrous Tissue / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies