Fine Needle Aspiration Cytologic Findings of Pulmonary Neuroendocrine Tumors

The major categories of neuroendocrine tumors of lung are typical carcinoid, atypical carcinoid, large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, and small cell carcinoma. The histologic classification criteria of neuroendocrine tumors are well documented in the "WHO Classification of Tumors" based on mitotic figures and necrosis. Cytologic characteristics of neuroendocrine tumors are trabecular, acinar, and solid arrangement of tumor cells and occasional rosette formation. Nuclear chromatin patterns are characteristically described as "salt and pepper chromatin pattern". Many of cytologic classifications documented in the literature are before the "WHO Classification". In this review, the cytologic features of pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors are documented according to the WHO classification, and recent concepts of neuroendocrine tumors of lung are discussed.