The Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology has developed a set of guidelines for pancreatobiliary cytology including indications for endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy, techniques of EUS-FNA, terminology and nomenclature of pancreatobiliary disease, ancillary testing and post-biopsy treatment and management. All documents are based on the expertise of the authors, a review of the literature, discussion of the draft document at several national and international meetings over an 18 month period and synthesis of online comments of the draft document on the Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology web site [www.papsociety.org]. This document selectively presents the results of these discussions and focuses on a proposed standardized terminology scheme for pancreatobiliary specimens that correlate cytological diagnosis with biological behavior and increasingly conservative patient management of surveillance only. The proposed terminology scheme recommends a six-tiered system: Non-diagnostic, negative, atypical, neoplastic [benign or other], suspicious and positive. Unique to this scheme is the “neoplastic” category separated into “benign” (serous cystadenoma) or “other” (premalignant mucinous cysts, neuroendocrine tumors and solid-pseudopapillary neoplasms (SPNs)). The positive or malignant category is reserved for high-grade, aggressive malignancies including ductal adenocarcinoma, acinar cell carcinoma, poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas, pancreatoblastoma, lymphoma and metastases. Interpretation categories do not have to be used. Some pathology laboratory information systems require an interpretation category, which places the cytological diagnosis into a general category. This proposed scheme provides terminology that standardizes the category of the various diseases of the pancreas, some of which are difficult to diagnose specifically by cytology. In addition, this terminology scheme attempts to provide maximum flexibility for patient management, which has become increasingly conservative for some neoplasms.

For patients with localized SS, histologic grade but not SYT-SSX fusion type is a strong predictor of survival.

BACKGROUND: The Sendai guidelines for risk assessment of malignancy in patients with mucinous cysts lists “positive” cytology as a high‐risk feature. In the current study, the authors hypothesized that a cytological threshold of high‐grade atypical epithelial cells (AEC) is a more accurate predictor of malignancy. METHODS: The clinical, radiological, and cytological data of 112 patients with histologically confirmed mucinous cysts of the pancreas were reviewed. Cytology slides were blindly reviewed and cells were classified as benign, AEC, or malignant. On histology, neoplasms were grouped as benign (low‐grade and moderate dysplasia) and malignant (high‐grade dysplasia/carcinoma in situ and invasive carcinoma). RESULTS: There were 92 patients with an intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) and 20 with a mucinous cystic neoplasm; 39 were malignant and 73 were benign (42 with low‐grade dysplasia and 31 with moderate dysplasia). Only 28% (11 of 39) of the malignant cysts were cytologically malignant with a sensitivity of 29%, a specificity of 100%, and an accuracy of 75%. AEC detected 17 additional cancers (44% of all malignant cysts; 16% more than detected on the basis of “positive” cytology). By using AEC as a surgical triage threshold, the sensitivity was 72%, the specificity was 85%, and the accuracy was 80%, with similar values for small (≤3 cm) branch duct IPMN. Nine of 73 (12%) benign cysts were identified with AEC, 4 of which had moderate dysplasia. AEC had a positive predictive value of 87% for the detection of a mucinous cyst with moderate dysplasia or worse. CONCLUSIONS: AEC are a more accurate predictor of malignancy than “positive” cytology in aspirates of pancreatic mucinous cysts, including small branch duct IPMN. AEC warrant a “suspicious” interpretation for appropriate surgical triage. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2010;. © 2010 American Cancer Society.

The Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology has developed a set of guidelines for pancreatobiliary cytology including indications for endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy, techniques of EUS-FNA, terminology and nomenclature of pancreatobiliary disease, ancillary testing, and postbiopsy treatment and management. All documents are based on the expertise of the authors, a review of the literature, discussions of the draft document at several national and international meetings over an 18-month period and synthesis of online comments of the draft document on the Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology web site (www.papsociety.org). This document selectively presents the results of these discussions and focuses on a proposed standardized terminology scheme for pancreatobiliary specimens that correlate cytological diagnosis with biological behavior and increasingly conservative patient management of surveillance only. The proposed terminology scheme recommends a six-tiered system: Nondiagnostic, Negative, Atypical, Neoplastic (benign or other), Suspicious and Positive. Unique to this scheme is the "Neoplastic" category separated into "benign" (serous cystadenoma), or "Other" (premalignant mucinous cysts, neuroendocrine tumors, and solid-pseudopapillary neoplasms). The positive or malignant category is reserved for high-grade, aggressive malignancies including ductal adenocarcinoma, acinar cell carcinoma, poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas, pancreatoblastoma, lymphoma, and metastases. Interpretation categories do not have to be used. Some pathology laboratory information systems require an interpretation category, which places the cytological diagnosis into a general category. This proposed scheme provides terminology that standardizes the category of the various diseases of the pancreas, some of which are difficult to diagnose specifically by cytology. In addition, this terminology scheme attempts to provide maximum flexibility for patient management, which has become increasingly conservative for some neoplasms.

Objective Evaluate the value of cytology relative to imaging features in risk assessment for malignancy as defined in the Sendai Guidelines. Background The Sendai Guidelines list symptoms, cyst size > 30mm, dilated main pancreatic duct (MPD) > 6mm, mural nodule (MN) and “positive” cytology as high risk stigmata for malignancy warranting surgical triage. Methods We reviewed clinical, radiological and cytological data of 112 patients with histologically confirmed mucinous cysts of the pancreas evaluated in a single tertiary medical center. Cytology slides were blindly re-reviewed and epithelial cells grouped as either benign or high grade atypia (HGA) [≥ high grade dysplasia]. Histologically, neoplasms were grouped as benign (low-grade and moderate dysplasia) and malignant (in-situ and invasive carcinoma). Performance characteristics of cytology relative to other risk factors were evaluated. Results Dilated MPD, MN and HGA were independent predictors of malignancy (p<0.0001), but not symptoms (p=.29) or cyst size > 30 mm (p=.51). HGA was the most sensitive predictor of malignancy in all cysts (72%) and in small (≤ 30 mm) branch-duct IPMN (67%) while also being specific (85 and 88% respectively). MN and dilated MPD were highly specific (>90%), but insensitive (39–44%). Cytology detected 30% more cancers in small cysts than dilated MPD or MN and half of the cancers without either of these high risk imaging features. Conclusions Cytology adds value to the radiological assessment of predicting malignancy in mucinous cysts, particularly in small branch-duct IPMN.

Gallbladder cancer is incidentally found during 0.25% of laparoscopic cholecystectomies. As T stage increases, the likelihood of residual disease on reexploration increases. Although many patients with gallbladder cancer present with incurable disease and have very poor survival, the overall prognosis is improving, likely because of more extensive operations.

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