Usefulness of Bcl-2 Expression and the Expression of Cytoplasmic Immunoglobulin Light Chains in the Differentiation Between B-Cell Lymphoma and Reactive Lymphocytic Proliferations in FNA.

Flow cytometry is helpful in differentiating between B-cell lymphoma (BCL) and reactive lymphocytic proliferation (RLP) in FNA biopsies. However; the presence of inconclusive surface immunoglobulin light chains (sIg LC) poses a problem. We investigated the usefulness of additional tests; namely Bcl-2 expression and expression of cytoplasmic Ig LC (cIg LC), mainly on samples with inconclusive sIg LC.

Interobserver variability and accuracy of p16/Ki-67 dual immunocytochemical staining on conventional cervical smears.

Background: p16/Ki-67 dual immunocytochemical staining (DS) has been proven as a sensitive and specific test for triage of HPV positive women with good reproducibility and accuracy. However, implementation of the test into an organized screening program (OSP) is not easy. The aims of this study were to compare the performance and agreement of DS results among three Slovenian cytopathological laboratories involved in the national OSP, and to define cases where staining results can be difficult to interpret.

Cytology material is equivalent to tumor tissue in determining mutations of BRCA 1/2 genes in patients with tubo-ovarian high grade serous carcinoma.

Background: High-grade serous ovarian cancer is a detrimental disease. Treatment options in patients with a recurrent disease are dependent on BRCA1/2 mutation status since only patients with known BRCA mutation are eligible for treatment with poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi). The aim of this study was to compare concordance of BRCA mutation analyses from cytological samples (CS) with BRCA mutation analyses from histological formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) samples.

Grading of follicular lymphoma in cytological samples.

Objective: The treatment of follicular lymphoma (FL) depends on its grade. The current World Health Organization (WHO) 2008 Classification of Tumours of Haematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues recommends the grading of FL on histological samples according to the Mann and Berard method, taking into consideration the number of centroblasts. There is no generally accepted method for the grading of FL in fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) samples.

Inconclusive flow cytometric surface light chain results; can cytoplasmic light chains, Bcl-2 expression and PCR clonality analysis improve accuracy of cytological diagnoses in B-cell lymphomas?

Background: Flow cytometric immunophenotyping (FCI), is widely used in cytology for distinguishing between B-cell lymphoma (BCL) and reactive lymphocytic proliferations (RLP), mainly by identifying monotypic B-cell populations. Since this cannot always be determined by ratios of surface immunoglobulin light chains (sIg LCs) we wanted to assess if cytoplasmic immunoglobulin (cIg) LCs, Bcl-2 and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based clonality analysis can improve accuracy of cytological diagnoses of BCL.

Methods: Our study included 98 fine needle aspiration biopsies from lymph nodes suspicious for BCL with inconclusive sIg LCs.

Vegetable cells in urinary samples of patients with bricker ileal conduit.

During routine cytopathological evaluation of urines for malignant cells we have occasionally noticed vegetable cells that were only present in patients with Bricker ileal conduit. We wanted to identify the means and sources of contamination of urinary samples from these patients. During the period between May and November 2010, 637 urinary samples were routinely evaluated for malignant cells.

Angiosarcoma in FNA smears: diagnostic accuracy, morphology, immunocytochemistry and differential diagnoses.

Objective: The aim of our study was to analyse the diagnostic accuracy in recognizing angiosarcoma from fine needle aspiration (FNA) samples and to determine morphological features of angiosarcoma in cytology.

Methods: FNA samples from 18 histologically confirmed angiosarcomas obtained between 1985 and 2009 were included in the study. Original cytological diagnoses were retrieved, smears reviewed and morphological features analysed: cellularity, smear pattern, cell morphology, contents of background.

Prognostic value of immunohistochemistry in the Ewing's sarcoma family of tumors.

Background: The expressions of different markers have been immunohistochemically studied in various types of the Ewing's sarcoma family of tumors, especially for diagnostic purposes. However, little is known about their prognostic value in combination with the clinicopathological data of such patients.

Material/methods: This retrospective study investigated the immunohistochemical expressions of NSE, TdT, EMA, S-100, CK MNF116, p53, bcl-2, CD99, and CD117 on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded material of 72 patients (age range: 2-59 years) with various types of Ewing's sarcoma family of tumors using the tissue microarray method.

The role of breast FNAC in diagnosis and clinical management: a survey of current practice.

Most participating countries have now adopted a triple assessment approach, i.e. clinical,imaging and pathology, to breast diagnosis, with FNAC as the first-line pathological investigation in both screening and symptomatic populations, with the exception of microcalcifications.

Difficulties in diagnosing small round cell tumours of childhood from fine needle aspiration cytology samples.

There are four basic reasons for the difficulties in diagnosing small round cell tumours (SRCT) in childhood from fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) samples. First, SRCTs are rare and it is difficult for cytopathologists to obtain enough experience for rendering reliable diagnoses. Second, SRCTs are morphologically very similar.

S-phase fraction determined on fine needle aspirates is an independent prognostic factor in breast cancer - a multivariate study of 770 patients.

Background: The prognostic significance of DNA ploidy and the S-phase fraction (SPF) have been extensively studied in breast cancer, but their clinical utility remains controversial. The type of tumour material can substantially influence flow cytometric DNA measurements. Material obtained by fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy is very suitable for flow cytometric DNA analysis because it contains a low proportion of non-tumour cells and less debris than tissue samples.

Haemorrhagic cytology samples - how to get the best diagnostic results.

Objective: To describe and evaluate the value of a simple filtration technique for use in processing haemorrhagic samples for cytomorphological evaluation and immunocytochemistry.

Methods: One hundred and sixty haemorrhagic cytological samples (133 FNAs, 27 effusions) received in our laboratory from August 2002 to September 2005 were included in this study. After preparing two smears for diagnostic evaluation, the residual sample was suspended in 2 ml of a cell medium prepared in our laboratory.

BSCC, Bethesda or other? Terminology in cervical cytology European panel discussion.

The European panel agreed that reproducibility and translatability of terminology in cervical cytology were essential, arguing well for harmonization of reporting systems. The majority at this meeting use a modification of the Bethesda system (BS). Local modifications involved reporting subcategories within high grade and low grade lesions, which would not alter the overall translatability of their systems both with each other and BS.

Cytopathology in Slovenia.

Cytopathology started in Slovenia in the early 50s with exfoliative cytology, while fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) was introduced some 10 years later. Today cytopathology is a well accepted diagnostic method in Slovenia and there are currently 20 cytopathological laboratories and 17 cytopathologists. The number of specimens examined in 2001 was 26 230 FNABs, 13 355 exfoliative non cervical and 323 888 cervical smears.

DNA ploidy as a prognostic factor in rhabdomyosarcoma. Analysis of 35 cases with image cytometry.

Objective: To correlate DNA ploidy in rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) with other prognostic factors and patient survival and to search for possible reasons for inconsistent conclusions in similar, published studies.

Study Design: DNA content was measured in archival specimens obtained from 35 patients (23 children and 12 adults) with RMS. Cell suspensions were prepared by the modified Hedley technique, stained by the modified Feulgen-thionin method and analyzed by automated high-resolution image cytometry.

Infantile myofibroma in a prematurely born twin: a case report.

Infantile myofibromatosis is a rare benign tumor of infancy and childhood that occurs in solitary, multiple, and generalized forms with similar histology but different clinicopathologic and prognostic implications. Even solitary tumors need follow-up, as the type of presentation will be determined over time. It is necessary to differentiate this entity from other more aggressive tumors, especially rhabdomyosarcoma, which is treated by chemotherapy prior to excision.

Acral myxoinflammatory fibroblastic sarcoma in FNAB samples: can we distinguish it from other myxoid lesions?

We analysed cytomorphological characteristics of three fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) samples of acral myxoinflammatory fibroblastic sarcoma (AMIFS) as well as the features of a number of other benign and malignant myxoid lesions. The analysis showed that FNAB samples from two cases of AMIFS had similar cytomorphology, containing all the characteristic features described in surgical biopsies: myxoid material, spindle cells with bipolar cytoplasmic extensions, epithelioid cells with globules of extra-cellular material, ganglion-like and lipoblast-like giant cells. Only the inflammatory component was scarce.

Value of image cytometry in the subclassification of rhabdomyosarcoma.

Objective: To test the discriminatory capability of nuclear features in the subclassification of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) and especially to differentiate embryonal from alveolar RMS.

Study Design: The study included 42 patients with RMS. We performed the analysis on Feulgen-stained filtrates of cell suspensions prepared from deparaffinized tissue sections.

Topical topic: value of fine needle aspiration biopsy in childhood rhabdomyosarcoma: twenty-six years of experience in Slovenia.

Background: Chemotherapy (Cht) for rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) given before local treatment can prevent mutilating surgery and high-dose irradiation (RT). Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) can confirm the diagnosis and neoadjuvant treatment can start without delay. The purpose of our study was to assess the role of FNAB in the management of childhood RMS in Slovenia.

Rhabdomyosarcoma. Cytomorphology, subtyping and differential diagnostic dilemmas.

Objective: To identify morphologic characteristics and architectural patterns of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), to attempt a subclassification from fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) smears and to point out some differential diagnostic problems.

Study Design: We reviewed all positive cytologic material from 53 patients with RMS whose diagnoses were histologically and/or immunocytochemically confirmed. We analyzed several morphologic features and identified architectural patterns of smears.

Desmin detection in FNAB samples of rhabdomyosarcoma: an immunocytochemical study.

We performed immunocytochemical (ICC) staining for desmin on 65 fine needle aspiration biopsies from 45 patients with rhabdomyosarcoma, using the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex method (ABC), and two types of antibodies, D33 and DE-R-11. The material was fixed either in ether-alcohol or in Delaunay's solution. The ABC method was applied to Papanicolaou stained slides, without destaining.

Cytomorphology of Langerhans cell histiocytosis.

Objective: To determine the diagnostic accuracy in recognizing Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) in cytologic smears obtained between 1977 and 1994 and to analyze the composition of these smears and thus identify various cytomorphologic patterns.

Study Design: The study group consisted of 37 cytologic smears (34 patients) taken from 30 bone lesions, 5 lymph nodes, 1 parotid gland and 1 conjunctival lesion. We noted the presence of various components in each smear and estimated their abundance.