CYTOLOGIC DIAGNOSIS OF METASTATIC MALIGNANT-MELANOMA OF THE LUNG IN SPUTUM AND BRONCHIAL WASHINGS - A CASE-REPORT

A 60-year-old woman with a fever, productive cough, anorexia, weight l oss and past history of malignant melanoma of the finger proved to hav e metastatic melanoma in both lungs on cytologic study of sputum and b ronchial washings. The literature in English over 40 years (1952-1992) gives only a few hints about the value of cytologic diagnosis of meta static malignant melanoma of the lung. Cytologic features include a va riable amount of melanin pigment, isolated or loosely cohesive groups of round to oval cells with eccentric nuclei, regular nuclear outline, anisocytosis, binucleation and multinucleation, fine chromatin patter n and prominent nucleoli.