Lymph Node: Practice Question

What is the most likely diagnosis of the following fine needle aspirate of an axillary lymph node?
Fine needle aspirate of an axillary lymph node.
Fine needle aspirate of an axillary lymph node.
  1. Lymphocyte rich classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma
  2. Metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma
  3. Metastatic melanoma
  4. Metastatic seminoma
Show Answer and Explanations

Lymphocyte rich classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma — Correct answer

Correct. There are classic Reed-Sternberg cells and a polymorphous population of lymphocytes.

Metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma

Incorrect. Papillary thyroid carcinoma has nuclear grooves and nuclear pseudoinclusions.

Metastatic melanoma

Incorrect. Melanoma can have many different morphologies, but commonly has prominent nucleoli and cytoplasmic inclusions (melanin).

Metastatic seminoma

Incorrect. Seminoma has a tigroid background, lymphocytes, large neoplastic cells, and stripped nuclei.

Summary

Summary: Look for Reed-Sternberg cells as a clue to the diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
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