Cytology of pleural, peritoneal and pericardial fluids in children. A 40-year summary.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the applicability of the cytologic examination of serous fluids in the management of malignant neoplasms in children.


METHODS
A review of the reports of all cytologic specimens of pleural, peritoneal and pericardial fluids from children examined in our laboratory during a 40-year period. A total of 226 specimens from 146 patients under 18 years old with a documented neoplasm were analyzed by diagnosis and fluid type. The data were tabulated and analyzed in a format that allowed comparison with the results of earlier studies.


RESULTS
Eighty-eight specimens (39%) from 66 patients (45%) were suspicious or positive for malignancy. The positive specimens included lymphoma and leukemia (52%), neuroblastoma (14%), Wilms' tumor (9%), gonadal and extragonadal germ cell neoplasms (8%), bone and soft tissue sarcomas (7%), epithelial neoplasms (5%), Ewing's sarcoma (2%) and other neoplasms (3%). Positive results were obtained in 47% (66/139) of pleural fluids, 23% (15/65) of ascitic fluids, 27% (4/15) of peritoneal washings and 43% (3/7) of pericardial fluids.


CONCLUSIONS
Cytologic examination of serous fluids is a simple and useful procedure in the management of pediatric neoplasms. This study showed a higher proportion of positive effusion cytology with lymphoma/leukemia and a lower proportion with sarcoma as compared with earlier reports. Pleural fluids were the most common specimen type and showed the highest proportion of positivity.
Wong
J W
JW
Institute of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Pitlik
D
D
Abdul-Karim
F W
FW
D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D001201:Ascites / Q000473:pathology*; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000166:cytology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007938:Leukemia / Q000473:pathology; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000473:pathology; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000473:pathology*; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000473:pathology*; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000473:pathology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D009396:Wilms Tumor / Q000473:pathology