ABSTRACT
The alimentary or gastrointestinal tract (GIT) in mammals is broken up into four major sections: esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and the large intestine/colon and rectum. Aggregates of lymphoid cells are found throughout the length of the GIT making up the ‘gut-associated lymphoid tissue’. Cytologic evaluation of GIT lesions is often performed in animals to aid diagnosis of solid masses or infiltrative gastrointestinal disease. In addition to fine needle aspirates (FNA) or impression smears post biopsy of lesions in the GIT, exfoliative techniques such as brush cytology and rectal scrapings may be employed. In hyperplastic lesions of the GIT, diagnosis is usually presumptively based on diagnostic imaging and identification of uniform populations of epithelial cells. In hyperplastic lesions of the intestine, diagnosis is usually presumptive and based on clinical history, diagnostic imaging, and identification of uniform populations of epithelial cells. Definitive diagnosis of intestinal mastocytosis can usually be accomplished via cytologic evaluation of an FNA of the mass.
