Adenocarcinoma of the lung: Electron microscopy of fine-needle aspiration biopsy specimens - A review of 73 cases

During a 10-yr period 128 consecutive cases of pulmonary adenocarcinoma of varying differentiation were diagnosed with percutaneous fine-needle aspiration biopsy Sediments from the needle and syringe washings with 3% glutaraldehyde were obtained and processed for electron microscopic evaluation in 73 cases, Our results showed three types of adenocarcinoma: 62 cases of nonciliated bronchiolar cell origin, 6 cases of bronchioloalveolar cell origin, and 3 cases of mucous cell origin. In addition, there was an example of combined adenosquamous carcinoma and an instance of amphicrine carcinoma. Our study provided a more precise definition of the cytologic diagnosis and insight into the heterogeneity of lung adenocarcinoma. However prognostic differences between cell types of lung adenocarcinoma were not observed. Diagn. Cytopathol. 1999;20:257-260. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.