SYNCHRONOUS MALIGNANCIES DETECTED BY EFFUSION CYTOLOGY

This case report describes the detection of two synchronous malignanci es by cytologic examination of pleural effusion fluid in a 66-year-old man. The effusion cytology examination documented cm adenocarcinoma i n the background of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The cytologic findin gs were confirmed by surgical biopsy and ancillary studies performed o n the cytology specimen including immunocytochemistry; flow cytology a nd electron microscopy. This case is unusual and to the best of our kn owledge the first reported case in the English literature of two synch ronous malignancies being diagnosed by effusion cytology: When two sep arate populations of atypical cells are present in the cytology smears , the possibility of multiple malignancies should be considered. (C) 1 998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.