BH: A 50-year-old male presented with many bilateral LNs in the neck. Clinical preliminary diagnosis was lymphoma or metastasis. An assessment of the patient's file before the FNA MRI report revealed a description of a 22 mm × 18 mm asymmetrical mass lesion in the nasopharynx. Unfortunately, this information was not indicated on the FNA requisition form. US findings: the radiologist detected many conglomerated LNs in the right and left sides of the neck during the US before the FNA. An FNA was performed from the largest LNs located at the left and right supraclavicular regions, which were18 mm × 10 mm and 30 mm × 18 mm in size, respectively. Cytologic findings: malignant tumor cells were observed individually or in scattered groups on a lymphoid background and appeared reactive. Thin fusiform particles were detected inside the nucleus in some cells in malignant clusters []. Cytologic diagnosis: Undifferentiated malignant tumor. Comment: the cytologic differential included the metastasis of head/neck-associated carcinoma and Hodgkin's lymphoma due to atypical mononuclear cells in the reactive lymphoid background. Histopathology: the nasopharyngeal biopsy showed undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma.\nTHM: (1) Metastasis in the LNs in undifferentiated carcinoma of the nasopharynx involves diagnostic challenges during the FNA.[] This condition may be confused with other nonkeratinized carcinoma metastases and lymphomas (especially Hodgkin's lymphoma). (2) Bizarre cells observed in undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma may resemble atypical mononuclear cells in Hodgkin's lymphoma (Hodgkin cells) and Reed–Sternberg cells [].
BH: a 42-year-old female was referred to us for FNA due to her thyroid nodule. The US showed a multinodular goiter. A microcalcified nodule 16 mm × 11 mm in size in the right thyroid lobe was considered important; a US-FNA was performed. Cytologic findings and diagnosis: Smears presented typical findings of thyroid papillary carcinoma []. Surgery and afterward: After a certain period, the patient angrily came to my office with the pathology report in her hand, trying to reproach me by saying; “It turned out to be benign after surgery. You told me it was cancer; you made me go through this stress.” I gave the preparations to the patient and directed her to the pathology institution that had reported that her nodule was benign.\nThe FNA slides received the diagnosis of “papillary carcinoma” during the consultation at the institution. Consequently, the thyroidectomy specimen was sampled again. It was determined that a nodule that was overlooked and not sampled the first time turned out to be “papillary carcinoma.”\nThe thyroidectomy material was sent to pathology from the operation theater with the note reading “multinodular goiter + total thyroidectomy.” The information of malignancy at FNA was not specified.\nTHM: (1) If the patient had accepted the pathology report and not taken into account the FNA result, she could have experienced eventual metastasis because she would not have received radioactive iodine therapy and would not have been monitored. (2) Following the first pathology report, the surgeon did not take into account the incompatibility between the cytological and histological diagnoses. When the patient investigated herself, her condition turned out to be “real.”