1995 Volume 34 Issue 4 Pages 634-639
We studied the cytomorphologic findings of eight cases with adrenal pheochromocytoma and six cases with extraadrenal paraganglioma. The cytological features were as follows.
1) Most tumor cells were individually scattered and some showed epithelial-like clusters. 2) The nuclei were round or oval in shape, and variable in size. Huge nuclei, multinucleated giant cells and intranuclear cytoplasmic inclusions were seen. 3) The shapes of the tumor cells were round, polyhedral, or spindle. 4) The cytoplasms were abundant, cyanophilic and fine granular. Nuclear cytoplasmic ratios were low. 5) May-Gruwald-Giemsa staining demonstrated eosinophilic or basophilic granularity in the cytoplasm. 6) Hyaline globules and endothelial cells were seen in the background. 7) Hemosiderin, Melanin-like pig ments, and cholesterin crystals were also seen. The tumor cells in three cases with metastases tended to be less-cohesive, smaller in size and had higher N/C ratios.
