Head and neck paragangliomas are rare at low altitudes but show higher prevalence at high altitudes. The author has confirmed this dictum by diagnosing 191 head and neck paragangliomas on FNAC till December 2023, the largest number reported in the literature. The first case was diagnosed in 1988. Keeping in view the rarity of this neoplasm at low altitudes and the unexplored tumour
at high altitudes, a tumour which has given a tough time to cytopathologists world over, the author decided to share his experience in the form of an Atlas. The Atlas includes data of patients up to December 2016 when it was finalised. COVID 19 created lot of disturbance and delayed the publication.
In this Atlas the author has given all the necessary details including technique of aspiration and diagnosis by simple MGG stain, relevant clinical data, patient photographs including barely visible to large massive tumours, microphotographs of FNAC smears and detailed histopathology of tumours.
The Atlas also includes two unique cases of non-head and neck paragangliomas, one of metastatic pheochromocytoma adrenal presenting as sternal mass and another of urinary bladder paraganglioma presenting with mass in suprapubic region. Both these cases were diagnosed with ease without any discomfort to patients on direct aspiration on MGG stained smears.
AR Khan MD is currently Director,Dr Khan's Diagnostic Lab and Research Centre,Srinagar,J&K,India.He completed his MBBS degree in 1968 from J&K University.He then received training in cytology (Oct 1970-Apr 1971) and his MD in pathology in 1974 from Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research,Chandigarh.Subsequently,he served as a faculty member of Department of Pathology,Government Medical College,Jammu (Mar 1974 - Aug 1977), and Government Medical College, Srinagar (Aug 1977 - May 2002). He rose from the position of Lecturer in Pathology in 1974 to Professor of Pathology in GMC, Srinagar, in 1988 and retired as Professor and Head,Department of Pathology,in May 2002. Prof Khan has vast experience in surgical pathology and cytopathology and has published multiple papers on both histopathology and cytopathology. He has conducted and reported on FNACs of more than 120,000 patients from May 1984 - Dec 2023.His special areas of interest in FNAC include paragangliomas,lymph nodes, bone tumours, soft tissue tumours, breast and thyroid.
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