Liquid-based cytology in breast fine needle aspiration. Comparison with the conventional smear.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the various cytologic features on AutoCyte Prep (ACP) (AutoCyte, Inc., Burlington, North Carolina, U.S.A.) and conventional preparation (CP) specimens from breast fine needle aspiration cytology material with a semi-quantitative scoring system.


METHODS
A total of 100 randomized cases were studied. In each case, 2 passes were performed. One pass was used for CPs (Giemsa and Papanicolaou stain). The other pass produced material for the ACP technique and Papanicolaou stain. Both the conventional and liquid-based preparations were studied independently by two observers and compared for cellularity, obscuring and/or informing background, representative diagnostic material, preservation of cytomorphologic features, presence of monolayer cells and architectural arrangement.


RESULTS
Comparing the two preparations, the results were as follows: (1) ACP was superior to CP in 2 features, lack of obscuring background and presence of monolayer arrangement with preservation of cell architecture; (2) ACP was inferior to CP in 1 feature, lack of informing background; and (3) ACP was equal, with small deviations, to CP in the rest of the features evaluated: cellularity, representative diagnostic material, preservation of cell morphology and architectural arrangement.


CONCLUSIONS
The new technology of liquid-based cytology in breast FNA showed a good correlation with CP plus the advantages of: (1) easier and less time consuming evaluation of cell morphology (clear background, no overlapping, smaller area to screen); (2) reproducibility, a factor of great importance to quality control; and (3) possibility of adjunctive investigations (immunocytology, flow cytometry) on the same material.
Veneti
Smaragda
S
Department of Cytology, LITO Hospital for Women, 7-13 Mousson Street, GR-115 24 Athens, Greece.
Daskalopoulou
Dimitra
D
Zervoudis
Stephane
S
Papasotiriou
Evangelia
E
Ioannidou-Mouzaka
Lydia
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D003584:Cytological Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008867:Microtomy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results