Maral mokhtari
Shiraz university of Medical Sciences, Iran
Title: Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Cytological Findings
Biography
Biography: Maral mokhtari
Abstract
The occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma is rising especially in areas with high incidence of viral hepatitis. Fine needle aspiration is a safe, cost effective and accurate method for diagnosis of liver space occupying lesions. In this study we report our experience in cytology of HCC. 58 patients (20 female and 38 male), histologically documented cases of hepatocellular carcinoma were studied, retrospectively. 25 patients were cirrhotic. The frequency of viral hepatitis was 40% (30% HBV and 10% HCV). The smears were hyper-cellular, consisting of two and three-dimensional clusters of round cells with centrally located nuclei in 58, 100% of cases. Atypical bare nuclei were frequently noted (49, 84% patients). Prominent nucleoli (25, 43% patients), endothelial cell rapping clusters of hepatocytes (40, 68% cases), transgressing vessels (38, 65% patients) intra-cytoplasmic bile (42,72% patients), intra-nuclear pseudo inclusions (22, 37% patients), and hepatitic rosettes enclosing extracellular bile plugs (20, 34% cases) were observed.Tumor giant cells (31, 53% cases), tad pole-like cells (5,8% cases) and Reed-Stenberg-like cells (1, 1.7% patient) were also seen.Some smears showed clusters of hepatocytes with clear cytoplasm and some of them showed micro-vesicular fatty change in 12, 20% patients. In conclusion, using different cytologic criteria, hepatocellular may reliably be differentiated from its mimickers. Besides other previously defined cytological features, Reed-Stenberg-like cells can be seen in hepatocellular carcinoma.