Bronchial oncocytoma

Respiratory Tract and Mediastinum

Normal cytology, abnormal and atypical cells, non-cellular components, and infectious cell changes are largely described together with benign, malignant, and neuroendocrine lesions regarding exfoliative and aspiration cytology of the lung. A separate section broadly addresses diagnostic findings and differential diagnoses in bronchoalveolar washings.

The section ‘Fine needle aspiration biopsy of mediastinal disorders’ covers in particular biopsy techniques, accuracy of liquid-based cytology, and the complex lesions of the thymus gland. Cytodiagnostic algorithms of the major benign and malignant pulmonary and mediastinal lesions and their respective differential diagnoses are additionally presented in synoptic setups.

Oncocytic mania: a review of oncocytic lesions throughout the body

Oncocytic lesions are characterized pathologically by an abundance of oncocytes, that is by enlarged, eosinophilic, and finely granular cells enriched in mitochondria. They can arise in numerous organs and tissues, often in endocrine glands, and have been associated with hyperplasia, autoimmunity, and neoplasia. The causes and mechanisms that transform a normal cell into an oncocyte remain to be elucidated. Aim of this article is to review the most common oncocytic lesions, highlighting their key pathological features and clinical significance.