2023 Volume 62 Issue 2 Pages 116-121
Background : Atypical lipomatous tumor/well-differentiated liposarcoma is a tumor of intermediate malignant grade that shows differentiation into adipose cells. Herein, we report a case of an atypical lipomatous tumor arising in the subcutaneous tissue of the left upper neck, focusing on the findings of fine-needle aspiration cytology of the tumor.
Case : A man in his late 40 s. He was referred to our Department of Otolaryngology for detailed investigation of a swelling in the left upper cervical region. Fine-needle aspiration cytology revealed clusters of cells composed of adipose cells containing enlarged nuclei and atypical pleomorphic stromal cells. These cells included atypical lipoblasts and binucleated cells. In addition, mast cells were found to be in contact with the atypical stromal cells. The cell types atypical lipoblasts could be identified more easily in Giemsa-stained specimens than in Papanicolaou-stained specimens. Immunocytochemistry showed partially positive staining of the nuclei of the atypical cells for murine double minute 2 (MDM2). The histopathological diagnosis of the tumor was also atypical lipomatous tumor.
Conclusion : These findings suggest the usefulness of Giemsa staining for the diagnosis in fine-needle aspiration cytology of lipomatous tumors.
