Fine-needle aspiration cytology of bronchial acinic cell carcinoma: A case report

✍ Scribed by Kazuo Watanabe; Nobutaka Ono; Toshiyuki Hoshi; Miyoko Hanzawa; Takashi Ishida

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 210 KB
• Volume: 30
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 8755-1039
• DOI: 10.1002/dc.20054

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Salivary gland‐type carcinomas of the lung are rare but well‐known tumors. Among them, acinic cell carcinoma (ACC) is extremely rare and its cytological features have not been reported. We present a case of bronchial ACC and describe its cytological characteristics. The tumor occurred in a 58‐yr‐old man as a 15‐mm polypoid lesion at the right middle lobar bronchus and filled its lumen. Transbronchial brush cytology and a biopsy failed to collect tumor cells but transbronchial fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) cytology was successful. The smear obtained was richly cellular and a large number of thick‐layered or monolayered sheet‐like tumor cell clusters and dissociated tumor cells were observed. Cribriform globular spaces were common and a lobulated acinar structure was found focally. The tumor cells had a fine granular large polygonal cytoplasm and rather uniform round or ovoid nuclei. The nuclei were situated eccentrically or centrally and the nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio was consistently low. These cytological features were essentially similar to those of ACC of the head and neck region. The patient underwent a lobectomy and the tumor was resected completely. Transbronchial FNA cytology was useful for diagnosing bronchial ACC and differentiating it from other conventional and salivary gland type carcinomas. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2004;30:359–361. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.