NATURAL-KILLER-CELL LYMPHOMA IN CYTOLOGY - BREAKING ALL THE RULES - ACASE-REPORT

A testicular mass aspirate was received from a 22-year-old patient wit h known non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The cells were large and pleomorphic, occurring in syncytial fragments and demonstrating abundant cytoplasm. No lymphoglandular bodies were seen. As characteristic lymphoma crite ria were not present, a cytodiagnosis of germ-cell tumor was suggested , and testicular biopsy advised. The final histopathology report, howe ver, was of a CD 56-positive (large cell) T-natural killer cell lympho ma, of which this appears to be the first example described and illust rated cytologically. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.