title: Cytological cell blocks: Predictors of squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma subtypes.
abstract: Fine needle aspirations biopsies, CT-guided and endobronchial ultrasound-guided, as a mode of diagnosing and/or staging lung carcinoma, are becoming more frequent. Also, there is greater necessity for classification of lung cancers into subcategories of squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma for appropriate management. Cytomorphology, based on smears alone, allows this classification in many instances. The aim of the current study was to explore the potential of cell blocks to increase the specificity of diagnosis. The morphological characteristics of sixty-two lung carcinomas were examined. Less well-differentiated squamous cell carcinomas were more readily classified as such on cell blocks. Likewise, cell block sections with architectural patterns including strips of cells, papillae and nests of cells correlated with bronchioalveolar, papillary and acinar/mixed subtypes of adenocarcinoma on follow-up histology. In conclusion, cell blocks provide additional morphological clues and material for ancillary studies for classification of lung carcinomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Loukeris
authors.forename: Madeline F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Vazquez
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sica
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: David F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Yankelevitz
authors.forename: Claudia I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Henschke
authors.forename: Matthew D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Cham
authors.forename: Anjali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saqi
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016591:Histocytological Preparation Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity