Hood I C, Qizilbash A H, Young J E, Archibald S D
Acta Cytol. 1983 Nov-Dec;27(6):651-7.
Paragangliomas are uncommon tumors arising in paraganglion tissue, which is especially well represented in the head and neck. In our hospital three head and neck masses recently proved to be paragangliomas on aspiratory biopsy cytology, with subsequent histologic confirmation. One was an apparently benign carotid body tumor, while the others were metastatic nasopharyngeal paragangliomas. The latter two tumors were clearly malignant, with roentgenographically proven pulmonary metastases in one and widespread lymph node involvement in the other. Histologically all were vascular tumors composed of large cells with abundant cytoplasm and pleomorphic, sometimes bizarre nuclei. These characteristic chief cells were clearly evident on cytology, with pleomorphic nuclei, prominent nucleoli, clumped chromatin and generally eosinophilic, finely granular or reticular cytoplasm. However, the distinction between benign and malignant tumors depended on the presence of mitoses or a tumor diathesis. Cytology seems to be able to provide a diagnosis of paraganglioma and, in these cases at least, an estimation of the biologic behavior.
副神经节瘤是起源于副神经节组织的罕见肿瘤，在头颈部尤为常见。在我们医院，最近经抽吸活检细胞学检查证实，有三个头颈部肿块为副神经节瘤，随后经组织学确诊。一个是明显良性的颈动脉体瘤，而另外两个是转移性鼻咽副神经节瘤。后两个肿瘤明显为恶性，其中一个经X线检查证实有肺转移，另一个有广泛的淋巴结受累。组织学上，所有肿瘤均为血管性肿瘤，由具有丰富细胞质和多形性、有时怪异核的大细胞组成。这些特征性的主细胞在细胞学检查中清晰可见，核多形性、核仁突出、染色质聚集，细胞质通常嗜酸性、细颗粒状或网状。然而，良性和恶性肿瘤的区别取决于有丝分裂或肿瘤素质的存在。细胞学似乎能够诊断副神经节瘤，至少在这些病例中，可以评估其生物学行为。
