NODULAR PULMONARY AMYLOIDOSIS - DIAGNOSIS BY FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION CYTOLOGY AND A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Solitary nodular pulmonary amyloid tumor is an uncommon benign lesion which is seldom diagnosed prior to surgical extirpation. We present a case of unsuspected nodular pulmonary amyloid tumor diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology. A 52-yr-old-black woman presented with a 3 -cm right middle lobe mass. Percutaneous fine-needle aspiration cytolo gy (FNA) of the mass revealed waxy amorphous material that demonstrate d apple green birefringence on Congo Red Stain. Thoracotomy for diagno sis may be avoided by using FNA to diagnose these unusual lesions. (C) 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.