Preparations are hemorrhagic and show abundance of small irregular and ball clusters as well as monolayered sheets of intermediate and large-sized atypical cells exhibiting focal cytoplasmic vacuolation. Nuclei are enlarged, hyperchromatic and irregular and some are vesicular. There are moderate number of small lymphocytes. Such cytological features may produced by mesothelioma or metastatic adenocarcinoma. Correlation with radiological findings (to ensure or exclude the presence of pleural mass lesion) as well as careful metastatic work-up (specially of lungs) are both advised to establish a final diagnosis.
Pleural effusion
Two smears were prepared from submitted 50 ml bloody fluid. Both were strained.
Pleural fluid, cytology: