Fine-needle aspiration cytology of metastatic carcinoid tumor: report of a case and review of the literature

Abstract

While carcinoid tumor is a relatively common neoplasm in surgical pathology, fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology as a method of primary diagnosis has only been reported in the literature a few times. We report on the case of a 42-yr-old female with multiple large metastatic tumor deposits in her liver, pelvic adnexae, bones, and lungs, with an unknown primary. FNA was performed on one of the liver masses, and was diagnosed using routine histochemical and immunohistochemical stains as carcinoid tumor. No follow-up tissue diagnosis has been obtained. However, the patient is still alive with her tumor 1 yr later. Fine-needle aspiration cytology can be a useful and safe tool in the diagnosis of metastatic carcinoid tumors, avoiding the need for surgery which would not otherwise be indicated for treatment.