Cytology of Collagenous Spherulosis: A Case Series

Abstract

Collagenous Spherulosis (CS) is an uncommon benign entity characterized by the presence of pink hyaline globules composed of basement membrane like material. Although they are known to occur independently, they are more often found as incidental findings in association with benign pro iferative breast lesions. As morphologically similar hyaline globules also occur in certain malignant lesions such as Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (ACC) and adenomyoepithelial carcinoma, their presence may pose diagnostic problems. The present series is a retrospective analysis of six cases of CS reported cytologically over a period of three years from 2013 to 2016 at Chettinad Hospital and Research, Tamil Nadu, India. The cytopathologist should be aware of this benign entity to distinguish it from similar looking malignant lesions to avoid inappropriate management.

Keywords

• adenoid cystic carcinoma
• collagen spherule
• differential diagnosis