title: Diagnosis of T-cell lymphoma in body fluids: cytologic features and unusual flow cytometric findings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate the unique morphologic and phenotypic features observed in cases of T-cell lymphomas presenting as effusions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cytologic slides and flow cytometric histograms of 8 cases of body fluids with T-cell lymphoma were retrospectively reviewed. Morphologic features, flow cytometric histograms and immunophenotypes of the cells were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three of the 8 cases showed 1 or more of the following: intermediate-to-large cells with an increased nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio, finely granular or vacuolated cytoplasm and round or convoluted vesicular nuclei with a prominent single or multiple nucleoli. Flow cytometric studies of these 3 cases showed an abnormal scatter pattern in the myelomonocytic region of the histograms. Phenotypic analysis revealed variable expression of a T-cell phenotype. The remaining cases showed the conventional morphologic and flow cytometric features of a T-cell lymphoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Morphologic alterations of neoplastic T-cells in body fluids can result in a variety of potentially incorrect diagnoses. The unusual flow cytometric histogram can serve as a useful clue for the diagnosis of T-cell lymphoma in body fluids but could be a potential pitfall for a false negative. Detailed cytologic evaluation combined with flow cytometric study can improve diagnostic accuracy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Mini G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Abraham
authors.forename: Kimberly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.forename: Manjula
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Balasubramanian
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Minimo
authors.forename: Lorenzo M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Galindo
authors.forename: J Steve
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Hou
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000166:cytology; D003581:Cytodiagnosis; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype