Fine needle aspiration cytology of plexiform fibrohistiocytic tumor - A case report

BACKGROUND: Plexiform fibrohistiocytic tumors ave rare lesions of proposed myofibroblastic origin occurring primarily in infants and children While th e histologic immunohistochemical and ultrastructural findings have been wel l described, cytologic description has been limited. CASE: An 8-month-old, male infant presented with a posterior chest wall mas s and decreased use of his left arm. Fine needle aspiration biopsy showed a spectrum of plump fibroblastic spindle cells and histiocytelike cells with in a finely granular myxoid background. Osteoclastlike giant cells were als o noted. CONCLUSION: Mie report here the cytologic findings of a plexiform fibrohist iocytic tumor from fine needle aspiration biopsy studied using Papanicolaou , Ultrafast Papanicolau and Diff-Quik(R) stain, with the cytologic differen tial diagnosis of other spindled and histiocytelike tumors.