Cytology should create structured data sets without using synoptic reporting.

Structured data sets can be created from cytology reports without the addition of synoptic reports using either natural language processing or minor changes to laboratory information systems structure.

Improving Reporting of Tumor Size in Synoptic Reports.

Context.—: Tumor size is an important prognostic feature in many synoptic reports. The best format to report this feature is not clearly defined.

High-grade urothelial carcinoma with hypochromatic chromatin in urine cytology.

Introduction: Some high-grade urothelial carcinomas (UCs) in urine cytology have hypochromatic chromatin, but the incidence and criteria for diagnosis are not well described.

Materials And Methods: Urine cytology cases with biopsy follow up were reviewed.

Results: Cytospin preparations from 331 cases with biopsy follow up (230 benign/low-grade UC, 101 malignant) were reviewed.

Thyroid FNA: Is cytopathologist review of ultrasound features useful?

Cytopathologist review of thyroid ultrasound (US) has been proposed to be useful in diagnosis and patient triage. This review explores the implications for practicing cytopathologists of integrating US review into the thyroid fine-needle aspiration diagnosis. At present, there is no agreed-upon system for combining cytologic and US features and communicating those results as a single report.

Risk of death due to disease for thyroid fine-needle aspirations of well-differentiated thyroid carcinomas.

The risk of malignancy for some diagnoses in thyroid fine-needle aspirations is higher than the actual risk of clinical progression. Other measures of prognosis may be helpful in managing patients with indeterminate thyroid fine-needle aspiration diagnoses. We estimated the risk of death due to disease (RDDD) for well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma using a series of over 15 000 aspirates with over 2000 excisions and data from the SEER database.

Needle track seeding in renal mass biopsies.

A review and analysis of the literature demonstrates that needle track seeding in renal mass biopsy has been reported 16 times. This complication occurs almost exclusively among patients with papillary renal cell carcinoma. The incidence is associated with multiple punctures of the mass, the use of core needles of ≥20 gauge, and lack of a coaxial sheath.

Effusion cytology of epithelioid rhabdomyosarcoma.

We report a case of epithelioid rhabdomyosarcoma in a pleural effusion. In contrast to most rhabdomyosarcomas in effusions, the cells presented as cohesive clusters of atypical cells with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm which mimicked an adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemistry was positive for epithelial membrane antigen and muscle markers and negative for keratins.

Risk stratification of HIV infection for patients needing molecular confirmation with the Abbott 4th generation Architect System.

Background: Some patients need their 4 generation HIV testing results confirmed with molecular testing after primary confirmatory testing which may not be immediately available. Further risk stratification of these patients pending the results of molecular testing may be of value not only for patient counseling but also for treatment of women in labor.

Objectives: To determine the risk of a positive test result on molecular testing for these patients.

Improving Discrete Data Capture in Synoptic Reports With Optional Free-Text Modifiers.

Purpose: Upfront, discrete data capture in synoptic reporting fails when pathologists choose a response not associated with discrete data. We sought to determine the factors associated with this event.

Methods: The results of all "Other" entries in four common tumor sites in synoptic reports were reviewed.

Adequacy criteria for voided urine cytology using cytospin preparations.

Background: Previous studies have suggested that urine cytology adequacy may be related to both specimen volume and cellularity.

Methods: The authors reviewed cytospin preparations from 314 urine specimens (162 voided and 152 instrumented specimens) found to have high-grade urothelial carcinoma on biopsy.

Results: The sensitivity of instrumented urine cytology was significantly higher than that of voided cytology (82% vs 25%; P < .

Ancillary studies in fine needle aspiration of the kidney.

An increasing number of renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) require ancillary studies for diagnosis. The majority of renal fine needle aspirates do not require ancillary studies. Among the most common useful stains are cytokeratin 7 (separating clear cell RCC [negative] from papillary RCC, clear cell papillary RCC, and multilocular cystic RCC [positive] as well as separating chromophobe RCC [diffusely positive] from oncocytoma [focally positive/negative]) and CD117 (separating chromophobe RCC and oncocytoma [positive] from granular variants of clear cell RCC [negative]).

EML4-ALK Rearrangement and Its Therapeutic Implications in Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumors.

Unlabelled: With the advent of precision medicine, medical oncology is undergoing a transcendental change. These molecular studies have allowed us to learn about potential targeted therapies for patients with advanced cancers. Perhaps the best-known example of success in precision medicine is chronic myeloid leukemia and its response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting the kinase.