FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION CYTOLOGY OF THE OXYPHIL VARIANT OF PAPILLARY CARCINOMA OF THE THYROID - A REPORT OF 3 CASES

BACKGROUND: A number of histologic variants of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid have been described, including an oxyphil cell subtype (OV PC). Few OVPC cases have been detailed cytologically. CASES: Smears pr epared from aspiration biopsies, as well as the corresponding histolog ic sections and clinical histories, were reviewed for three cases. Two patients had asymptomatic thyroid tumors, and the third developed nec k tumors after thyroid cancer surgery. All smears revealed scattered p apillary groups and monolayered sheets. The large, neoplastic cells ha d abundant, granular cytoplasm and eccentrically placed nuclei. Nuclea r grooves and intranuclear inclusions were variably present. Psammoma bodies anc colloid were not identified. Histologically the tumors cons isted predominantly of oxyphil cells arranged in papillary patterns an d with nuclear features of usual papillary carcinoma (UPC). CONCLUSION : OVPC can be diagnosed in smears composed predominantly of large oxyp hil cells but showing features associated with UPC and can be cytologi cally distinguished from follicular oxyphilic tumors, and UPC.