title: Imprint cytology from core biopsies increases the sensitivity of fine needle aspiration (FNA) in breast cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) can have high inadequate results. The main objective of this study was to validate the sensitivity of imprint cytology and compare it to that of FNAC across all levels of staff experience. Our other objective was to find out whether handling of a core biopsy to obtain an imprint slide affected its morphology so as to make histopathological reporting from that tissue difficult. This we thought could be of significance while trying to diagnose smaller cancers where just one core could contain tumour.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients (n = 56) with a suspicious breast lump had fine needle aspiration (FNA) and core biopsy. The core biopsy used to prepare the two imprint cytology slides was sent separately for histopathology reporting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Simultaneous imprint cytology from a core biopsy increased the sensitivity of cytology results by 12% compared to that of FNAC alone. In this series we found imprint cytology to have a sensitivity of 84%, a specificity of 100%, a positive predictive value of 100% and a negative predictive value of 82.7%. The histopathologists did not report any distortion in tissue morphology so as to affect histological reporting of the core used.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since most patients will have a core biopsy to confirm invasive cancer and the technique of imprint cytology is easily performed, perhaps it should be more widely used especially in units where the sensitivity of FNA is low.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Wishaw General Hospital Department of Surgery Lanarkshire NHS Trust, Wishaw ML2 0DP, UK. sanjeevdayal@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Sanjeev
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dayal
authors.forename: Juliette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lannigan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D003584:Cytological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity