Cytologic characteristics of subependymal giant cell astrocytoma in squash smears: morphometric comparisons with gemistocytic astrocytoma and giant cell glioblastoma.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the squash smear features of subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SEGA) in comparison with gemistocytic astrocytoma and giant cell glioblastoma.


METHODS
We compared the squash smear features of 3 cases of SEGA, 9 cases of gemistocytic astrocytoma and 3 cases of giant cell glioblastoma with the morphometric findings.


RESULTS
SEGA had, on average, a 15.84 +/- 5.03-microm nucleus, 33.22 +/- 12.05-microm cytoplasm and 0.50 +/- 0.12 nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio in squash smears. In addition, SEGA showed hairlike processes distributed along the squash direction like strap cells. While the gemistocytic astrocytoma had several tumor cells showing a vertically located nucleus, the tumor cells of SEGA showed nuclei oriented mainly in parallel.


CONCLUSIONS
These squash cytologic features of SEGA can be very helpful in the differential diagnosis by excluding mimics.
Kim
Se Hoon
SH
Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
Lee
Kwang-Gil
KG
Kim
Tai Seung
TS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male