Cytologic findings of adenoid cystic carcinoma in a tracheal wash specimen

✍ Scribed by Raj K. Gupta; Andrew G. R. McHutchison

• Book ID: 102140168
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 179 KB
• Volume: 8
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 8755-1039
• DOI: 10.1002/dc.2840080222

✦ Synopsis

In a recent communication we described the cytologic findings of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) in tracheal wash specimens. Recently we have seen another case of ACC in tracheal wash specimen which is presented herein. A 85-year-old female was admitted with a 6-month history of increasing shortness of breath. This had become worse in the last 2 months resulting in total restriction of all her activities. No hemoptysis was present and occasional productive cough with mucus was noted. A history of weight loss for 3 months was present. On examination the patient was short of breath with marked inspiratory and expiratory stridor. All laboratory tests and chest X-rays were normal. At bronchoscopy, an endotracheal tumour was found filling the midtrachea with a small slit like opening remaining. A tracheal wash sample was taken and submitted for cytologic examination.

Papanicolaou and Diff Quik stained smears and hematoxylin-eosin (H & E) stained cell block preparations from tracheal washings showed many cohesive three dimensional clusters of uniform cells with balling effects, cystic spaces, and minimal cytoplasm (Fig. lA,B). The nuclei