title: An analysis of 46 static telecytology cases over a period of two years.
abstract: We analysed 46 telecytology cases sent from two rural hospitals about 500 km from a tertiary cancer centre. The cases were submitted for second opinion over a period of two years and evaluated using a static store and forward telecytology approach. A total of 715 digital images were studied (average 15 per case). Forty-one of the 46 cases (89%) were reported within 3 days and 54% of cases were reported within one working day. The aspiration smears and images were found to be of diagnosable quality in 89 and 93% of the cases, respectively. The diagnostic concordance was assessed by comparing the telecytology diagnosis, glass slide diagnosis and final histopathology diagnosis (when available). A clinically useful diagnosis was rendered in 91% cases with 74% complete concordance. Five out of 46 cases (11%) were deferred for glass slide review. Store and forward telecytology using the Internet is a rapid and effective method of providing expert diagnosis in cytology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra, and Department of Pathology, Pramukhswami Medical College, Karamsad, Anand, Gujarat, India.
authors.forename: Rajasa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jialdasani
authors.forename: Sangeeta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Desai
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Ashok
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kothari
authors.forename: Ruta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Deshpande
authors.forename: Tanuja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shet
authors.forename: Mukta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramadwar
authors.forename: Shubhada
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kane
authors.forename: Roshni
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chinoy
mesh_terms: D003581:Cytodiagnosis / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006780:Hospitals, Rural; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000592:standards*; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000592:standards*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D019113:Telepathology / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data