Objectives: Respiratory cytology specimens such as bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and bronchial wash (BW) obtained using a fiberoptic bronchoscope are very useful in detecting or ruling out various inflammatory conditions, infections, and neoplastic lesions. A study was carried out to determine the usefulness of respiratory cytology in the diagnosis of pulmonary lesions and the limitations of cytology if any, and correlate the results of cytology with biopsies wherever possible.
Methods: All bronchoscopic cytology and biopsy specimens received at the pathology laboratory of this tertiary care institute between June 2014 and May 2017 were analyzed. Cytology smears were stained with Leishman's stain, hematoxylin and eosin (H and E), Papanicolaou (PAP), and Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) stain for all cases and special stains wherever needed. Slides prepared from biopsy specimens were stained with H and E. Immunohistochemistry was used for confirmation and further typing of malignant lesions and diagnosis rendered was compared with the corresponding cytology diagnosis.
Results: A total of 120 specimens of BAL or BW cytology with or without biopsy were analyzed. Thirty-three were diagnosed as non-specific inflammatory lesions. The most common malignancy diagnosed by cytology was adenocarcinoma followed by squamous cell carcinoma. Correlating BAL with biopsy specimens, the sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of BAL were 100%, 88.8%, and 91.6%, respectively. Correlating BW with biopsy specimens, the sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of BW were 85.6%, 85.6%, and 85.6%, respectively.
Conclusions: Accurate diagnosis can be made from the examination of bronchoscopic cytology specimens in pulmonary inflammation, tuberculosis, fungal infections, and malignancies. Combining respiratory cytology with biopsy and ancillary techniques can aid in better subtyping of neoplastic lesions.
Background: The management of patients with "Atypical Squamous Cells" (ASC) in conventional papanicolaou smears (CPS) is based on the risk of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL). The efficacy of liquid-based cytology (LBC) to detect this premalignant lesion is variable, with little evidence of its performance in Colombian patients.
Aims: The aim of this study is to determine the performance of LBC in the detection of premalignant lesions, in patients with ASC in CPS.
Materials and methods: Were obtained patients who attended colposcopy clinic due the result of ASC in CPS. An LBC was taken, which was interpreted by two pathologists without access to other results. The performance of LBC to detect HSIL, was determined, considering as a gold standard: histopathological study/negative-satisfactory colposcopy.
Results: Were included 114 patients, with a mean age of 38.4 years (SD ± 13.3). LBC had abnormal results in 40.36% (n = 46), with a slightly higher proportion of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) than HSIL. The total of abnormal diagnoses by colposcopy and/or biopsy was 51.75% (n = 59), with a predominance of LSIL (36.84%). The sensitivity of the liquid-based cytology to detect premalignant lesions was 76.5%, specificity: 66.0%, positive predictive value: 28.3% and negative predictive value: 94.1%; The Cohen's kappa index of LBC for detecting HSIL was 0.2492 for the total population and 0.2907 for ≥30 years.
Discussion: Although LBC decreases abnormal cytology and increases the detection of HSIL, which improves diagnostic accuracy; sensitivity and predictive values for detecting HSIL are not significantly different between CPS and LBC.
Background: Cytological smear and cell block are commonly used to diagnose pleural fluid effusion. However, there is a paucity of information in the literature where a comparison between a cytological smear and a cell block with corresponding pleural biopsy has been done. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of cytological smears, cell blocks, and pleural biopsy for the diagnosis of malignant tumors.
Material and methods: In this cross-sectional study, analysis of successive pleural fluid samples received by the department was done. The sample was divided into equal halves of 5 ml each. One was used for conventional smear and the second was used for the preparation of cell block. The cell block was prepared by centrifuging the specimen of fluid at 2500 rpm for 15 min. A pleural biopsy was obtained by using Cope's pleural biopsy needle.
Results: A total of n = 50 cases were included in the study. A total of n = 8 cases were diagnosed as malignant by cell smear and n = 4 cases were suspicious for malignancy. By cell block, n = 10 cases of malignancy were diagnosed and n = 1 case was suspicious for malignancy. By biopsy, n = 11 cases were diagnosed as malignant and n = 1 case was suspicious for malignancy. Out of the total, n = 2 cases were diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma by biopsy; one case was diagnosed by cell block; and the other was reported as suspicious for malignancy.
Conclusion: The study shows that cell blocks are complementary to the cell smear technique in over diagnosis and categorization of benign as well as malignant cells. The cell blocks were more useful in the diagnosis of malignancy because of better preserved architectural patterns as seen in corresponding histopathology sections. It, therefore, appears that the cell blocks are a perfect fit to bridge the cytology and histopathology.
Background: Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is the most practiced initial method for evaluation of breast lesions. The International Academy of Cytology Yokohama System for Reporting Breast (IAC YSRB) Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy Cytopathology has been developed to standardize the reporting system. However, literature available on the inter-observer reproducibility of 5 IAC YSRB categories is limited.
Aim: We investigated the inter-observer reproducibility of the IAC YSRB system.
Method and materials: A total of 70 consecutive specimens obtained from FNAC of breast lesions were reviewed retrospectively by 3 experienced cytopathologists who allotted 1 to 5 IAC YSRB categories.
Results: The percent overall agreement between observers was 70.48% and the free marginal kappa was 0.63, which signifies substantial agreement. After combining "Suspicious" and "Malignant" categories, overall agreement was 80.95% and free marginal kappa became 0.75.
Conclusions: Inter-observer agreement of three (70.48%) cytopathologists was substantial. Agreement can be improved by combining certain categories, especially "Suspicious" and "Malignant". Technical quality limitation plays a significant role in a proportion of cases, mainly the "Atypical" and "Suspicious of malignancy" categories. Application of the IAC YSRB system in day-to-day practice will increase the inter-observer agreement.
Purpose: It is still debatable whether surgical staging of endometrial cancer (EC) should include sampling of peritoneal cytology (PC) and for what purpose this should be done. The aim of our study was to determine the significance of peritoneal cytology in EC and its association with other histological and clinical parameters.
Methods: This is a retrospective study that comprises of results from 357 patients with EC that were operated in our center in the previous nine years. Patients were divided into two groups: the first group with a positive and the second group with a negative PC.
Results: Malignant cells were found in the peritoneal cytology of 23 patients (6.4%), while 334 patients (93.6%) had negative PC. There was no significant difference in patients' age between the two groups (p = 0.20). Peritoneal cytology was more prevalent in the non-endometrioid than the endometrioid subtype of EC (p = 0.00). There was a significant statistical difference (p = 0.00) in malignant PC in stages where cancer is confined to the uterus (International Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetricians (FIGO) stages I and II) compared with those where cancer has metastasized outside the uterus (stages III and IV). Most of the patients with malignant PC (69.6%) had high-grade disease (G3).
Conclusion: Malignant peritoneal cytology is associated with other negative prognostic factors in endometrial cancer (histological grade, FIGO stage, and non-endometrioid histological subtypes). Based on these findings, we encourage sampling of peritoneal washing in all EC patients and consider it mandatory in patients with non-endometrioid subtype, high-grade histology, and in advanced FIGO stage.
Background: The May-Grünwald Giemsa Stain is one of the preferred Romanwsky stains in studying cell morphology of air-dried smears with respect to cellular and nuclear size details and metachromatic extracellular ground with an approximate staining time of 20-30 min. A reduction in staining time and possible application of an ultrafast stain for rapid onsite evaluation (ROSE) of cytological material is the need of the hour. With the application of the new modified ultrafast Giemsa (MUFG) technique, rapid staining can be achieved, thereby helping in triaging of samples and, most importantly, providing an early preliminary diagnosis.
Aims: The aim is to assess the quality index of the MUFG technique in FNAC of various organs in comparison with the standard MGG stain.
Materials and methods: A total of 61 FNAC cases were studied by random sampling. Two smears were prepared for each case and stained by both. Scores were given based on five parameters, and the quality index was calculated.
Statistical analysis: Results were analyzed using mean, median, standard deviation, "t" paired test, "P" value, and M-diff for statistical significance.
Results: The quality index of MUFG smears was comparable to the standard MGG stain in salivary gland, breast, and thyroid aspirates and low in lymph node and soft tissue aspirates. MUFG is a rapid cost-effective stain which can be applied in the setting of ROSE for a preliminary diagnosis.
Conclusion: MUFG is a reliable alternative and rapid technique for cytology diagnosis.