Aspiration biopsy findings in amyloid tumor of the cervical vertebra - A case report

BACKGROUND: The differential diagnosis of destructive lytic lesions of the spine includes amyloid tumors. Tile diagnosis of amyloid tumor with fine ne edle aspiration biopsy (FNA) is challenging. Previous reports of FNA of oss eous amyloid tumors have detailed the cytologic appearance of amyloid along with lymphocytes, plasma cells and histiocytes, occasionally multinucleate or forming granulomatous lesions. CASE: Atr 84-year-old man presented with neck pain. Radiologic studies show ed a destructive, lyric lesion of C-6, with a large, soft tissue mass. FNA yielded many acellular smears containing abundant amyloid that was confirme d with special stains of corresponding tissue cores and subsequent surgical biopsies. CONCLUSION: Osseous amyloid tumors are destructive, lytic lesions that mimi c other processes. Amyloid call be distinguished from other substances in F NA samples and amyloid tumor identified, even when amyloid is present witho ut typical cellular components.