title: Cell block technique as a complementary method in the clinical diagnosis of cyst-like lesions of the jaw.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the applicability of the cell block technique as a complementary method for presumptive diagnosis in the analysis of cyst-like aspirates from jaw lesions prior to histopathological diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample was made up of 17 cyst-like jaw lesions. After puncture, the aspirates were centrifuged, fixed in formalin, embedded in paraffin and processed. All lesions were biopsied and submitted to histopathological examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 9 cases, the cytopathological analysis using the cell block method showed a predominant presence of erythrocytes, inflammatory cells and few epithelial cells. In the other 8 cases, the cell block technique demonstrated the presence of parakeratin, whose histopathological analysis confirmed the occurrence of keratocystic odontogenic tumors (KOTs).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to the studied cases, the cell block method was proven to be a simple, fast and low-cost technique to effectively differentiate KOTs from other lesions with similar clinical and radiographic features. The cell block technique comprises cellular preparations useful to determine a clinical diagnosis and help to develop a therapeutic plan for those lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Health Science Center, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil. riet@ccs.ufsc.br
authors.forename: Elena Riet Correa
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Rivero
authors.forename: Liliane Janete
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Grando
authors.forename: Fabíola
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Menegat
authors.forename: Jonathas Daniel Paggi
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Claus
authors.forename: Felipe Marcelo
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Xavier
mesh_terms: D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D003581:Cytodiagnosis / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D009807:Odontogenic Cysts / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D009808:Odontogenic Tumors / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results