HEPATOBLASTOMA IN FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATES

OBJECTIVE: To analyze cytomorphologic characteristics of hepatoblastom a (HE) and evaluate the feasibility of recognizing its histologic subt ypes in smears. STUDY DESIGN: Fine needle aspirates from 14 primary an d I metastatic HE were reexamined. The diagnosis of HE was confirmed b y tissue examination (10 cases) and by clinical and laboratory finding s alone (5 cases). RESULTS: In 12 samples, neoplastic cells resembled immature hepatocytes but were smaller and had a higher nuclear/cytopla smic ratio. In nine of these smears the cells were rather uniform, whi le the other three presented with moderate pleomorphism. The cells wer e arranged in three dimensional clusters, loose sheets, cords, rosette like structures and occasional pseudopapillae and were dispersed. CONC LUSION: With knowledge of the cellular features and architectural patt erns of HE, a reliable diagnosis could be obtained ir? 12/15 cases wit hout the use of special techniques. In the remaining three aspirates t he tumor cell population partly or entirely differed from normal hepat ocytes, requiring ancillary techniques for proper diagnosis. On reexam ination of the 10 cases with tissue diagnoses, 4/6 mixed HBs could he correctly subtyped, whereas the distinction between embryonal and feta l cells in four cases of epithelial HE seemed questionable.