FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION CYTOLOGY OF HEPATOBLASTOMA - A REPORT OF 2 CASES

BACKGROUND: Hepatoblastoma is the most common primary hepatic tumor in children. The literature contains few examples of fine needle aspirat ion (FNA) cytology of these tumors. CASES: A 5-month-old and 4-month-o ld underwent ultrasonography-guided FNA for preoperative investigation of hepatic masses. The smears were stained with May-Grunwald-Giemsa a nd Papanicolaou stain. Alcohol-fixed smears were used for immunocytoch emistry. All smears revealed cells with round/oval nuclei, prominent n ucleoli and vacuolated cytoplasm, arranged in groups and acinar struct ures. The groups were embedded in a myxoid stroma. alpha-Fetoprotein w as positive in all, and vimentin was positive in some tumor cells. The cytologic findings resembled the histologic counterpart in one case, and the other case agreed with the clinical/radiologic prediagnosis. I mmunocytochemistry was supportive. CONCLUSION: FNA cytology can be dia gnostic in many other childhood tumors as well as hepatoblastomas. Det ailed descriptions of cytomorphologic features of hepatoblastoma will help FNA to be used confidently on these tumors.