Fine needle aspiration cytology of lymph node: experience of 2 university hospitals with conventional smears and liquid-based cytology.
OBJECTIVE
To compare 2 different series of fine needle aspirations (FNA) performed by conventional smears (CS) and liquid-based cytology (TriPath PREP).


METHODS
From January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2005, we selected 139 FNA samples of lymph node, if the diagnosis was histologically proven after the initial cytologic diagnosis. Samples came from 2 university hospitals from Brussels: UZ-Brussel (n=96) using liquid-based cytology (LBC) and Hospital Erasme ULB (n=43) using CS.


RESULTS
The number of inadequate samples was greater for LBC than CS, but there was no statistical difference (17.7% vs. 4.7%, p = 0.059). No differences were found between LBC and CS in sensitivity (respectively, 85.0% vs. 85.2%), specificity (84.2% vs. 85.7%) and efficiency (84.8% vs. 85.4%).


CONCLUSIONS
Despite the cost, the efficiency of lymph node FNA cytology is identical between the CS and LBC performed by the TriPath PREP system. The quality of the smears, both LBC and CS, depends mainly on practitioner dexterity. Nevertheless, one advantage of LBC is that it provides an ancillary technique to improve FNAC diagnosis. In the future, a combination of these technologies with FNAC alone could in some cases take the place of surgical lymph node excision.
Garbar
Christian
C
Department of Pathology, UZ-Brussel, Free University of Brussels, Belgium. christian.garbar@uzbrussel.be
Remmelink
Myriam
M
Mascaux
Corinne
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001530:Belgium; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity