Diagnostic efficacy of immunocytochemistry on fine needle aspiration biopsies processed by thin-layer cytology.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of immunocytochemistry (ICC) performed on smears processed by thin-layer cytology (TLC).


METHODS
During the period January 2001-September 2003, 3,573 consecutive fine needle aspiration biopsies were processed with both conventional smears (CSs) and TLC diagnosed by a single pathologist; 113 required immunocytochemical study. CSs were fixed in ethanol whereas TLC slides were processed with the ThinPrep 2000 method (Cytyc Co., Marlborough, Massachusetts, U.S.A); both were stained with Papanicolaou stain. ICC staining was carried out on only TLC slides.


RESULTS
The 113 cytologic cases were grouped as follows: 32 thyroid nodules with 16 histologic controls (HCs), 24 lymph nodes (regardless of location) with 15 HCs, 18 liver and pancreatic lesions (3 HCs), 11 lung nodules (6 HCs), 5 kidney and adrenal gland lesions (1 HC), 6 abdominal (2 HCs) and 4 mediastinal masses (1 HC), 6 salivary gland tumors (3 HCs), 4 bone masses (2 HCs) and 3 subcutaneous lesions (1 HC). ICC contributed to the diagnosis in 104 cases (92%), whereas it was inconclusive in 9. The cytologic diagnoses were histologically confirmed in 46 of 50 cases (92%).


CONCLUSIONS
ICC can be successfully applied on TLC slides with better results than on CSs, and its yield can be useful in making the correct diagnosis on fine needle aspiration biopsy.
Fadda
Guido
G
Division of Anatomic Pathology and Histology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy. guidofadda@rm.unicatt.it
Rossi
Esther Diana
ED
Mulè
Antonino
A
Miraglia
Antonella
A
Vecchio
Fabio Maria
FM
Capelli
Arnaldo
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D003581:Cytodiagnosis / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013194:Staining and Labeling