Endoscopic ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle aspiration of undifferentiated carcinoma with osteoclast‐like giant cells of the pancreas: A report of 2 cases with literature review

• DOI: 10.1002/dc.20711
• Publication Date: 2007-08-16T15:46:41Z
• Authors: Shefali Chopra; Mark Li‐Cheng Wu; David K. Imagawa; John Lee; Mai Gu
• Keywords: Aged, 80 and over; Male; Liver Diseases; Biopsy, Fine-Needle; Carcinoma; Osteoclasts; Amyloidosis; Middle Aged; Giant Cells; Endosonography; 3. Good health; Pancreatic Neoplasms; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Humans; Female

AbstractUndifferentiated carcinoma with osteoclast‐like giant cells of the pancreas is rare. Histologically it mimics the giant cell tumor of the bone and may be associated with a ductal adenocarcinoma. We recently encountered two such cases, both of which were biopsied by EUS‐guided FNA. Abundant multinucleated osteoclast‐like giant cells and many uniform mononuclear cells were present in case 1 so that the diagnosis was made. In case 2, many mononuclear tumor cells with vacuolated and basophilic cytoplasm were present, and rare osteoclast‐like giant cells were seen. A diagnosis of adenocarcinoma was made. In both cases, no conspicuous nuclear pleomorphism was noted in the mononuclear cells or the multinucleated giant cells. The histology of case 2 revealed a pure undifferentiated carcinoma with osteoclast‐like giant cells. In addition, a liver biopsy revealed globular amyloidosis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of pancreatic undifferentiated carcinoma with osteoclast‐like giant cells sampled by EUS‐guided FNA and the first case of hepatic globular amyloidosis associated with this tumor. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2007;35:601‐606. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.