Sujin Park1, Eun Yoon Cho1, Young Lyun Oh1, Yeon Hee Park2, Hyun-Soo Kim3. 1. Department of Pathology and Translational Genomics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 2. Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 3. Department of Pathology and Translational Genomics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea hyun-soo.kim@samsung.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM: Peritoneal fluid (PF) cytology is critical for distinguishing high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) from metastatic disease in patients with breast carcinoma who present with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC). CASE REPORT: A 50-year-old woman underwent surgery and adjuvant therapy for pT1N0 grade 2/2 luminal A breast carcinoma. Sixteen months postoperatively, palliative chemotherapy was administered following a pleural biopsy and diagnosis of metastatic carcinoma. The patient developed PC despite chemotherapy. PF cytology specimens suggested metastatic carcinoma. However, we observed a papillary cellular arrangement during the review of cytology slides. HGSC was confirmed by immunocytochemistry showing positive paired box 8 (PAX8) and Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1) expression and negative GATA-binding protein 3 expression. CONCLUSION: In patients with breast carcinoma history, an awareness of characteristic cytomorphology of HGSC, including a papillary pattern with positive PAX8 and WT1 immunoreactivity, is essential to prevent the misdiagnosis of such cases and in ensuring accurate treatment and management. Copyright
BACKGROUND/AIM: Peritoneal fluid (PF) cytology is critical for distinguishing high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) from metastatic disease in patients with breast carcinoma who present with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC). CASE REPORT: A 50-year-old woman underwent surgery and adjuvant therapy for pT1N0 grade 2/2 luminal A breast carcinoma. Sixteen months postoperatively, palliative chemotherapy was administered following a pleural biopsy and diagnosis of metastatic carcinoma. The patient developed PC despite chemotherapy. PF cytology specimens suggested metastatic carcinoma. However, we observed a papillary cellular arrangement during the review of cytology slides. HGSC was confirmed by immunocytochemistry showing positive paired box 8 (PAX8) and Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1) expression and negative GATA-binding protein 3 expression. CONCLUSION: In patients with breast carcinoma history, an awareness of characteristic cytomorphology of HGSC, including a papillary pattern with positive PAX8 and WT1 immunoreactivity, is essential to prevent the misdiagnosis of such cases and in ensuring accurate treatment and management. Copyright