FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION OF SOLID AND PAPILLARY CYSTIC TUMOR OF THE PANCREAS

Solid and papillary cystic tumors of the pancreas are relatively rare tumors that occur in adolescent and young adult women. A case is prese nted in which preoperative diagnosis was made by fine-needle aspiratio n biopsy obtained under computed tomographic guidance. The cytologic s mears were characterized by branching, papillary clusters of cells hav ing a thin, well-defined, fibrovascular core and surfaced by multiple layers of cells. Sheets of cells were also present. The tumor cells ha d small, round to oval nuclei with finely stippled chromatin and an oc casional small nucleolus. The nuclear membrane was delicate and nuclea r infolding was frequent. The cytoplasm was scant and cell borders wer e indistinct. Mitotic figures were notably absent. The diagnosis was c onfirmed histologically following surgical resection. As this tumor ha s a favorable prognosis with complete surgical removal, fine-needle as piration can play an important role in preoperative planning by distin guishing it from other pancreatic lesions with significantly different prognosis and treatment. Therefore, pediatric pathologists should be familiar with the cytologic manifestations of this tumor.