Abstract：
OBJECTIVE: Angioimmunoblastic T cell lymphoma (AITL) is often misdiagnosed in cytology. Hence, the present study was conducted to identify the distinctive cytomorphological features of AITL in lymph node fine-needle aspirates (LN-FNA).
METHODS: This was a 4-year retrospective case-control study. Cases included LN-FNAs from patients with histopathologically confirmed AITL. The controls included LN-FNAs from patients with histopathologically confirmed reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (RLH; n=25). Eleven cytomorphological features were assessed in all the aspirates; the strength of association was determined by OR, Cramer\'s V and multiple correspondence analysis (MCA).
RESULTS: Of a total of 22 cases of AITL reported on histopathology, 19 adequate aspirates from 14 patients (63.6%) were available for review. On univariate analysis, 5 of 11 cytomorphological variables were found to be significant for AITL; however, on MCA, 3 of these parameters, viz absence of tingible body macrophages (OR=0.014; V=0.74), presence of atypical lymphoid cells (OR=10.8; V=0.41) and singly scattered epithelioid cells (OR=19.3; V=0.31), were found to be the strongest predictors of AITL.
CONCLUSIONS: The absence of tingible body macrophages, presence of atypical lymphoid cells and singly scattered epithelioid cells in polymorphic LN-FNAs are significant cytomorphological predictors of AITL in comparison with RLH. Knowledge of these diagnostic predictors, supplemented by clinicoradiological correlation and appropriate ancillary studies, can help diagnose AITL on aspiration cytology.
METHODS: This was a 4-year retrospective case-control study. Cases included LN-FNAs from patients with histopathologically confirmed AITL. The controls included LN-FNAs from patients with histopathologically confirmed reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (RLH; n=25). Eleven cytomorphological features were assessed in all the aspirates; the strength of association was determined by OR, Cramer\'s V and multiple correspondence analysis (MCA).
RESULTS: Of a total of 22 cases of AITL reported on histopathology, 19 adequate aspirates from 14 patients (63.6%) were available for review. On univariate analysis, 5 of 11 cytomorphological variables were found to be significant for AITL; however, on MCA, 3 of these parameters, viz absence of tingible body macrophages (OR=0.014; V=0.74), presence of atypical lymphoid cells (OR=10.8; V=0.41) and singly scattered epithelioid cells (OR=19.3; V=0.31), were found to be the strongest predictors of AITL.
CONCLUSIONS: The absence of tingible body macrophages, presence of atypical lymphoid cells and singly scattered epithelioid cells in polymorphic LN-FNAs are significant cytomorphological predictors of AITL in comparison with RLH. Knowledge of these diagnostic predictors, supplemented by clinicoradiological correlation and appropriate ancillary studies, can help diagnose AITL on aspiration cytology.
摘要：
目的：血管免疫母细胞性T细胞淋巴瘤（AITL）在细胞学上经常被误诊。因此，本研究旨在确定淋巴结细针抽吸物(LN-FNA)中AITL的独特细胞形态特征.
方法：这是一项为期4年的回顾性病例对照研究。病例包括组织病理学证实为AITL的患者的LN-FNA。对照包括来自具有组织病理学证实的反应性淋巴样增生(RLH;n=25)的患者的LN-FNA。在所有抽吸物中评估了11个细胞形态学特征；通过OR确定关联强度，Cramer的V和多重对应分析(MCA)。
结果：在AITL的组织病理学报告的22例中，14例患者中有19例(63.6%)有足够的抽吸物用于审查。在单变量分析中，发现11个细胞形态学变量中有5个对AITL具有重要意义；然而，关于MCA，其中3个参数，即缺乏可修饰的身体巨噬细胞（OR=0.014；V=0.74），存在非典型淋巴样细胞（OR=10.8;V=0.41）和单个分散的上皮样细胞（OR=19.3;V=0.31），被发现是AITL的最强预测因子。
结论：缺乏可修饰的身体巨噬细胞，与RLH相比，多态性LN-FNA中非典型淋巴样细胞和单个分散的上皮样细胞的存在是AITL的重要细胞形态学预测因子。这些诊断预测因子的知识，辅以临床放射学相关性和适当的辅助研究，可以帮助在抽吸细胞学上诊断AITL。
方法：这是一项为期4年的回顾性病例对照研究。病例包括组织病理学证实为AITL的患者的LN-FNA。对照包括来自具有组织病理学证实的反应性淋巴样增生(RLH;n=25)的患者的LN-FNA。在所有抽吸物中评估了11个细胞形态学特征；通过OR确定关联强度，Cramer的V和多重对应分析(MCA)。
结果：在AITL的组织病理学报告的22例中，14例患者中有19例(63.6%)有足够的抽吸物用于审查。在单变量分析中，发现11个细胞形态学变量中有5个对AITL具有重要意义；然而，关于MCA，其中3个参数，即缺乏可修饰的身体巨噬细胞（OR=0.014；V=0.74），存在非典型淋巴样细胞（OR=10.8;V=0.41）和单个分散的上皮样细胞（OR=19.3;V=0.31），被发现是AITL的最强预测因子。
结论：缺乏可修饰的身体巨噬细胞，与RLH相比，多态性LN-FNA中非典型淋巴样细胞和单个分散的上皮样细胞的存在是AITL的重要细胞形态学预测因子。这些诊断预测因子的知识，辅以临床放射学相关性和适当的辅助研究，可以帮助在抽吸细胞学上诊断AITL。
