title: Rehydration of air-dried smears with normal saline. Application in fine-needle aspiration cytologic examination.
abstract: In fine-needle aspiration cytologic examination, nuclear features are often better assessed in hematoxylin and eosin (H and E) or Papanicolaou- (Pap) stained than Romanowsky-stained smears. However, both H and E and Pap stains require the use of immediately wet-fixed smears for cytomorphologic preservation. Some degree of air drying is usually inevitable. Placing air-dried smears in normal saline for 30 seconds before fixation in 95% alcohol is found to be a simple means of rehydrating the cells. The quality of the rehydrated smears is superior or identical to that of the immediately wet-fixed smears, provided that the period of drying does not exceed 30 minutes.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: I T
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Kung
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D003584:Cytological Techniques; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D012965:Sodium Chloride