Spleen and Thymus Cytology

Question 1

how common is reactive/hyperplastic splenic lymphoid tissue?

Answer 1

very common

Question 2

what might aspiration of large germinal centers resemble?

Answer 2

lymphoma: large numbers of lymphoblasts

Question 3

what hematopoietic cells can be present in extramedullary hematopoiesis?

Answer 3

megakaryocytes
erythroid precursors
myeloid precursors

Question 4

where are plasma cell neoplasias/myeloma found?

Answer 4

spleen and bone marrow

Question 5

what do splenic round cell neoplasms often cause?

Answer 5

diffuse splenic enlargement

Question 6

what are the most common types of splenic round cell neoplasms?

Answer 6

lymphoma
mast cell tumor
plasma cell neoplasia
acute myeloid leukemias
histiocytic sarcoma

Question 7

where is histiocytic sarcoma often found?

Answer 7

spleen
also lymph nodes, liver, lung

Question 8

what do the cells look like in histiocytic sarcoma?

Answer 8

large, spindle-shaped to round cells
abundant cytoplasm, often vacuolated

Question 9

what are the three presentations of thymoma?

Answer 9

epithelial (thymocytes)
mixed lymphoepithelial
lymphocyte-predominant

Question 10

what might resemble thymoma?

Answer 10

small cell lymphoma