FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION BIOPSY AND IMPRINT CYTOLOGY OF SMALL NON-CLEAVED CELL (BURKITTS) LYMPHOMA

We reviewed 13 cases of small non-cleaved cell (Burkitt's) lymphoma di agnosed by fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) and four cases where t hat diagnosis was made from touch imprints from surgical biopsy specim ens. The most common site was intra-abdominal. Histologic confirmation was present in 14/17 cases. General microscopic features on smears in cluded high cellularity and an individual cell pattern. Extracellular lymphoglandular bodies were abundant and tingible body macrophages wer e prominent. Nuclei were intermediate in size and round with a finely dispersed chromatin pattern on May-Grunwald-Giemsa stained smears. Cyt oplasm was basophilic and scant with prominent vacuoles. Extracellular vacuoles and vacuoles within lymphoglandular bodies occurred in all p atients. Immunocytochemistry performed on 16/17 cases demonstrated a B cell phenotype in 15. Nine cases were kappa light chain positive and six were lambda light chain positive. Flow cytometry performed in five cases demonstrated diploid cells with a high S phase. We conclude tha t Burkitt's lymphoma can be diagnosed using combined FNAB and immunoph enotyping. Diagn Cytopathol 1995;12:201-207. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.