Fine needle aspiration of ovarian masses. II. Correlative cytologic and histologic study of nonneoplastic cysts and noncelomic epithelial neoplasms.

A wide variety of neoplasms and nonneoplastic cysts involves the ovary. Seventy-seven ovarian masses were aspirated using fine needles. They included 32 nonneoplastic cysts of various types, 29 celomic epithelial neoplasms, 10 germ cell neoplasms and 6 other neoplasms. The study was performed in order to elucidate the cytologic features of aspirates from these lesions and correlate them with the histologic features. Material aspirated from malignant neoplasms resulted in abundantly cellular specimens while aspirates from benign neoplasms and nonneoplastic cysts showed only scanty cells. Follicular cysts and corpus luteum cysts showed similar cell types but with various degrees of cellularity and incidence of cell types. Cysts lined by a single layer of cuboidal cells, such as paraovarian and paratubal cysts, were very similar cytologically. The three types of germ cell neoplasms encountered showed features which were diagnostic of each entity. It was difficult to discriminate between some of the types of the sex cord and mesenchymal neoplasms. Aspiration cytology can achieve a satisfactory classification of ovarian masses. It has a specific role to play especially in young patients, in whom preservation of ovarian function is advisable.