Aspiration cytodiagnosis of a rare carcinoma of breast with bizarre malignant giant cells.

On a review of our experience with 14,526 fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) studies of the breast which were done from January 1983 to July 1994, five cases of the rare breast carcinoma were diagnosed in which bizarre, pleomorphic malignant giant cells formed an integral part of the tumour. In all the five cases, immunocytochemical studies were done on aspirated samples. Based on our present findings, in FNAC samples and in keeping with the findings recently described by us in a case, it is stressed that the bizarre malignant giant cells in this type of breast carcinoma are indeed of an epithelial origin. The differential diagnoses of other breast conditions in which giant cells may be seen in FNAC samples is appropriately discussed.