Low power: DQ stain
Highly cellular smear with loosely cohesive and single small blue cells with scant cytoplasm and crush artifact.
High power: DQ stain
Loosely cohesive and single small blue cells, high N:C ratios, nuclear molding, scant cytoplasm and paranuclear blue bodies. Note absence of lymphoglandular bodies (D/D lymphoma).
High power: DQ stain
Loosely cohesive and single small blue cells, high N:C ratios, nuclear molding, scant cytoplasm, apoptotic bodies and crush artifact.
Low power: Pap stain
Loosely cohesive and single small blue cells, scant cytoplasm, necrosis and crush artifact.
High power: Pap stain
Loosely cohesive and single small blue cells, high N:C ratios, nuclear molding, absent to inconspicuous nucleoli, finely granular chromatin, scant cytoplasm, and single cell apoptosis.
High power: Pap stain
Loosely cohesive and single small blue cells, high N:C ratios, nuclear molding, absent to inconspicuous nucleoli, finely granular chromatin, scant cytoplasm, and single cell apoptosis.
High power: Pap stain
Loosely cohesive and single small blue cells, high N:C ratios, nuclear molding, absent to inconspicuous nucleoli, finely granular chromatin, scant cytoplasm, single cell apoptosis and smear artifact.
High power cell block: H&E stain
Malignant cells, high N:C ratios, nuclear molding, absent to inconspicuous nucleoli, finely granular chromatin, scant cytoplasm, and necrosis.
Features
• Highly cellular
• Single cells, loose clusters, rosettes, sheets
• Small to intermediate sized cells
• High N:C ratios
• Scant cytoplasm
• May have paranucleolar blue bodies (cytoplasmic inclusions)
• Nuclear molding
• Fine chromatin
• Apoptotic bodies have dark clumped chromatin
• Absent to inconspicuous nucleoli
• Necrosis and apoptosis
• Crush artifact
• Numerous mitotic figures
• Express cytokeratin, TTF-1, CD56, NSE, synaptophysin +/- , chromogranin +/- , CK7 +/- , CK20 usually negative
Arora VK et al. Acta Cytol. 2003 Mar-Apr;47(2):216-20.
Zaharopoulos P et al. Acta Cytol. 1982 Nov-Dec;26(6):800-8.