THYROID-TUMORS - CYTOMORPHOLOGY OF HURTHLE CELL TUMORS, INCLUDING AN UNCOMMON PAPILLARY VARIANT

Of 2,012 fine-needle aspirations (FNA) performed by us between 1984 an d 1988, we present a detailed cytomorphologic analysis of 95 cases tha t were diagnosed as neoplastic on histology and/or cytology and those that received an equivocal cytodiagnosis. Discussed are eight tumors, which include three classic and five variant forms of Hurthle cell car cinoma. The latter showed a papillary tumor populated wholly by Hurthl e cells, which we have morphologically designated as papillary Hurthle cell carcinoma. All three Hurthle cell carcinomas (PHC) were diagnose d on FNA as papillary Hurthle cell neoplasms (PHN). One was a false ne gative cytodiagnosis.