title: Lymph node fine needle cytology in the staging and follow-up of cutaneous lymphomas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lymph nodal involvement is an important clinical-pathological sign in primary cutaneous lymphoma (PCL), as it marks the transformation/evolution of the disease from localized to systemic; therefore the surveillance of lymph nodes is important in the staging and follow up of PCL. Fine needle cytology (FNC) is widely used in the diagnosis of lymphadenopathies but has rarely been reported in PCL staging and follow-up. In this study an experience on reactive and neoplastic lymphadenopathies arisen in PCL and investigated by FNC, combined to ancillary techniques, is reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one lymph node FNC from as many PCL patients were retrieved; 17 patients had mycosis fungoides (MF) and 4 a primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma (PBL). In all cases, rapid on site evaluation (ROSE) was performed and additional passes were used to perform flow cytometry (FC), immunocytochemistry (ICC) and/or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to assess or rule out a possible clonality of the corresponding cell populations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  FNC combined with FC, ICC, and PCR identified 12 cases of reactive, non specific, hyperplasia (BRH), 4 dermatopathic lymphadenopathy (DL), 4 lymph nodal involvement by MF and 1 lymph nodal involvement by cutaneous B-cell lymphoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FNC coupled with ancillary techniques is an effective tool to evaluate lymph node status in PCL patients, provided that ROSE and a rational usage of ancillary techniques is performed according to the clinical context and the available material. The method can be reasonably used as first line procedure in PCL staging and follow up, avoiding expensive and often ill tolerated biopsies when not strictly needed.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vigliar
authors.forename: Immacolata
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cozzolino
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Picardi
authors.forename: Anna Lucia
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Peluso
authors.forename: Laura Virginia Sosa
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vetrani
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Botti
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pane
authors.forename: Carmine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Selleri
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria "San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d'Aragona", Largo città d'Ippocrate n,1, 84131 Salerno, (IT), Italy. pzeppa@unisa.it.
authors.forename: Pio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zeppa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D019675:Genes, T-Cell Receptor gamma; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009182:Mycosis Fungoides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor