PIGMENTED NEUROECTODERMAL TUMOR OF INFANCY IN THE EPIDIDYMIS - A CASE-REPORT

BACKGROUND: Pigmented neuroectodermal tumor of infancy (PNTI) is a rar e pigmentary tumor. Cytologic study of this tumor had not been perform ed before. In the present study, cytology of such a tumor was done in addition to histology, electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry. C ASE: A 5-month-old infant had a scrotal tumor. After tumorectomy, touc h smear for cytology revealed small and large tumor cells. The small c ells showed a high nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio, and the large cells cont ained pigment in their cytoplasm. Histologically, the small cells and large, pigmented cells showed a typical alveolar and tubular pattern, respectively. The small cells showed neuroblastlike and the large cell s showed melanocytelike features ultrastructurally and immunohistochem ically. CONCLUSION: Cytology has not been applied to the diagnoses of PNTI. In our opinion, fine needle aspiration cytology could be helpful in the preoperative diagnosis of this tumor.