title: Value of intraoperative imprint cytology of sentinel nodes in patients with cervical cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate intraoperative imprint cytology (IC) for the detection of sentinel node (SN) involvement in patients with cervical cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six consecutive patients with cervical cancer underwent a laparoscopic SN procedure with intraoperative IC, followed by complete laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy, with or without laparoscopic para-aortic lymphadenectomy. The SN was bisected and both cut surfaces were applied to the surface of glass slides. Permanent sections were stained with H&E and immunohistochemical methods. The IC results were compared with the final histological results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At least one SN (mean: 2 SN per patient, range: 1-5) was detected in 34 of the 36 patients. Eight patients (22.2%) had a total of 12 metastatic SNs (four macrometastatic, five micrometastatic, and three with isolated tumor cells). No false-negative results of SN biopsy were obtained. Only one metastasis was identified by IC. No false-positive findings were obtained with IC. The overall sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive and negative predictive values of IC were 8.3%, 100%, 85.7%, 100%, and 85.5%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that intraoperative imprint cytology of sentinel nodes is unreliable in patients with cervical cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecologic and Breast cancers, Hôpital Tenon, 75020 Paris, France. emmanuel.barranger@tnn.ap-hop.paris.fr
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barranger
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cortez
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uzan
authors.forename: Patrice
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Callard
authors.forename: Emile
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Darai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003581:Cytodiagnosis / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*