title: Imprint cytology on microcalcifications excised by vacuum-assisted breast biopsy: a rapid preliminary diagnosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate imprint cytology in the context of specimens with microcalcifications derived from Vacuum-Assisted Breast Biopsy (VABB).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 93 women with microcalcifications BI-RADS 3 and 4 underwent VABB and imprint samples were examined. VABB was performed on Fischer's table using 11-gauge Mammotome vacuum probes. A mammogram of the cores after the procedure confirmed the excision of microcalcifications. For the application of imprint cytology, the cores with microcalcifications confirmed by mammogram were gently rolled against glass microscope slides and thus imprint smears were made. For rapid preliminary diagnosis Diff-Quick stain, modified Papanicolaou stain and May Grunwald Giemsa were used. Afterwards, the core was dipped into a CytoRich Red Collection fluid for a few seconds in order to obtain samples with the use of the specimen wash. After the completion of cytological procedures, the core was prepared for routine histological study. The pathologist was blind to the preliminary cytological results. The cytological and pathological diagnoses were comparatively evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to the pathological examination, 73 lesions were benign, 15 lesions were carcinomas (12 ductal carcinomas in situ, 3 invasive ductal carcinomas), and 5 lesions were precursor: 3 cases of atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) and 2 cases of lobular neoplasia (LN). The observed sensitivity and specificity of the cytological imprints for cancer were 100% (one-sided, 97.5% CI: 78.2%-100%). Only one case of ADH could be detected by imprint cytology. Neither of the two LN cases was detected by the imprints. The imprints were uninformative in 11 out of 93 cases (11.8%). There was no uninformative case among women with malignancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Imprint cytology provides a rapid, accurate preliminary diagnosis in a few minutes. This method might contribute to the diagnosis of early breast cancer and possibly attenuates patients' anxiety.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cytology, Hippocratio Hospital, Athens, Greece. fotou2@hol.gr
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fotou
authors.forename: Vassiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Oikonomou
authors.forename: Flora
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zagouri
authors.forename: Theodoros N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Sergentanis
authors.forename: Afroditi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nonni
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Athanassiadou
authors.forename: Theodora
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Drouveli
authors.forename: Efstratios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Atsouris
authors.forename: Evagelia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kotzia
authors.forename: George C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Zografos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000473:pathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003581:Cytodiagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000473:pathology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014618:Vacuum