1984 Volume 23 Issue 3 Pages 403-408
Less reports on cytology have been available in the orthopedic field. For the purpose of studying aspiration cytology, we examined 5 osteosarcoma cases by means of imprint cytology. According to Dahlin's classification, there were 2 cases of osteoblastic types, 2 cases of osteoblastic type+chondroblastic type and 1 case of chondroblastic type.
Cytological characteristics of this tumor were as follows:
1) Tumor cells were seen in single and irregular clusters with high pleomorphic property.
2) Tumor cells were classified into 5 groups on the basis of cytomorphologic features. The incidence of polygonal type cells was from 35 to 56%, spindle cells 12-23%, round cells 9-22%, bizarre cells 4-15% and polinuclear giant cells 5-15%. Correlation between histological classification and cytomorphologic cell types could not be established.
3) The cytoplasma of these neoplastic cells were light-green with well-defined margin with Papanicoloau's stain. The nuclei were round or elliptical or occasionally spindle shape, 7 to 27 micron in size, and were composed of increased chromatin with granular pattern. Pseudoinclusion body was seen in some nuclei.
4) The characteristic finding of osteoblastic type was light-green osteoid materials in irregular shapes, while that of chondroblastic type was cartilagenous matrix which exhibited metachromasia with Giemsa's stain.
When light microscopic cell types were compared to electron microscopic pictures, polygonal and round cells in smears seemed to correspond to malignant osteoblasts and chondrocytes, spindle type cells to malignant myofibroblasts and osteoblasts, and bizarre and polinuclear giant cells to malignant osteoblasts, chondrocytes and myofibroblasts respectively.
