459
BACKGROUND: Primary pulmonary paragangliomas
are rare tumors. To our knowledge, there is no prior re-
port on fine needle aspiration
cytology (FNAC) in pul-
monary paraganglioma.
CASE: A 34-year-old man
presented with an incidental-
ly found solitary pulmonary
mass. FNAC showed papil-
larylike clusters of epithelioid
cells with round to oval nu-
clei, evenly dispersed chro-
matin, micronucleoli and occasional anisonucleosis.
These cytologic features were suggestive of a sclerosing
hemangioma or bronchioloalveolar carcinoma. A right
lower lobectomy revealed a primary pulmonary paragan-
glioma.
CONCLUSION: The possibility of pulmonary paragan-
glioma should be considered in the differential diagnosis
of FNAC showing pseudopapillary clusters of epithelioid
cells. (Acta Cytol 2001;45:
459–464)
Keywords: paragan-
glioma, lung neoplasms,
aspiration biopsy.
Pulmonary paraganglio-
mas are rare tumors. Pul-
monary manifestations
of extraadrenal paragangliomas and pheochromo-
cytomas are found more frequently than a primary
lesion.
15,18,19
Only 19 cases of primary pulmo-
nary paragangliomas, including the present one,
have been reported in the English-language litera-
ture.
6-8,17,20
From the Department of Pathology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Dr. M. K. Kim is Chief Resident.
Dr. Park is Resident.
Drs. H. D. Cho and S. J. Cho are Fellows.
Dr. A. Kim is Assistant Professor.
Drs. H. K. Kim, Yeom and Choi are Professors.
Dr. C. H. Kim is Associate Professor.
Address reprint requests to: Chul Hwan Kim, M.D., Department of Pathology, Guro Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, 80
Gurodong Gurogu, Seoul, 152-705, Korea (chkap@kumc.or.kr).
Financial Disclosure: The authors have no connection to any companies or products mentioned in this article.
Received for publication June 12, 2000.
Accepted for publication October 19, 2000.
Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology of Primary
Pulmonary Paraganglioma
A Case Report
Min Kyung Kim, M.D., Seong Hwan Park, M.D., Hyun Deuk Cho, M.D.,
Seong Jin Cho, M.D., Aeree Kim, M.D., Han Kyeom Kim, M.D.,
Bom Woo Yeom, M.D., Jong Sang Choi, M.D., and Chul Hwan Kim, M.D.
Acta Cytologica
0001-5547/01/4503-0459/$19.00/0 © The International Academy of Cytology
Acta Cytologica
Primary pulmonary paraganglioma
should be considered in the
differential diagnosis when FNAC
findings include papillarylike or loose
clusters of epithelioid cells....
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