title: Ultrastructural studies of malignant cells in fluids.
abstract: An ultrastructural study was performed on 104 sequential fluids in which more than eight malignant cells per ten high-power fields were found by routine light microscopy. The study included fluids associated with mesotheliomas, melanomas, lymphomas, squamous-cell carcinomas, small-cell anaplastic (oat-cell) carcinomas, and adenocarcinomas. Electron microscopic examination reliably separated lymphoid from epithelial malignancies and benign from reactive and malignant mesothelial cell proliferations. It also suggested or identified a primary site for the adenocarcinomas. Ultrastructural examination of fluids can be a valuable adjunct to routine light microscopy of cytology specimens. No false-positive diagnoses were encountered. Sampling was the most significant limitation for this technique.
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000166:cytology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure