Diagnostic dilemmas in fine needle aspiration cytology of an ectopic kidney: a case report.
BACKGROUND
Congenital anomalies are easily diagnosed on radiology and rarely have an unusual presentation requiring an invasive diagnostic procedure. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), though a well-established diagnostic technique for abdominal and retroperitoneal lesions, is fraught with several challenges and pitfalls.


METHODS
We report a case of a 39-year-old woman with an ectopic kidney presenting as an abdominal mass. On FNAC the cellular aspirate was misinterpreted as a paraganglioma or metastatic carcinoma.


CONCLUSIONS
This case highlights the fact that on FNAC, normal cellular components, especially from the kidney, provide a significant pitfall for overdiagnosis, potentially resulting in unnecessary surgical explorations.
Goregaonkar
Ruta
R
Department of Pathology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, India.
Viswanathan
Seethalakshmi
S
Merchant
Nikhil H
NH
Tongaonkar
Hemant B
HB
Kane
Shubhada V
SV
Chinoy
Roshni F
RF
D000328:Adult; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D002828:Choristoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney