Background: Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology is a basic diagnostic method used for the investigation of superficial and deep lesions. The implementation of rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) in cytological analysis can help in reducing the inadequacy rate and obtaining proper samples for further tests/analysis.
Case presentation: We report a case of 44-year-old male, who presented to our outpatient department with complaints of swelling in his right arm for the last 34 years. FNA with ROSE using 1% aq. toluidine blue helped identify the pathology (fungal lesion) in the patient with further confirmation by cellblock, periodic acid Schiff & Gomori methenamine silver stains.
Conclusion: The role of FNA was significant in the above case, special stains prove their efficacy when sufficient sample is available. The differential diagnosis of fungal etiology should be considered in subcutaneous soft tissue lesions. There has been a major leap in diagnostic cytopathology with the advent of molecular testing. However, FNA still holds its charm.
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