title: Flow cytometric immunophenotyping and cell block immunocytochemistry in the diagnosis of primary Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma by fine-needle aspiration: Experience from a tertiary care center.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Accurate diagnosis of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL) on fine-needle aspiration (FNA) specimen is challenging and requires ancillary testing.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The feasibility of flow cytometric immunophenotyping (FCI) along with cell block immunocytochemistry (CB-ICC) as adjunct techniques in the diagnosis of NHL as per the current World Health Organization (WHO) classification was evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  All cases of suspected lymphoma underwent FNA, and the sample was triaged for light microscopic evaluation, FCI, and CB-ICC, and each case was classified as per the current WHO classification.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 65 cases was analyzed which included 40 B-cell, 21 T-cell, and 4 unclassifiable lymphomas. Of 61 cases, FCI alone was contributory in 74% (45/61) cases whereas CB-ICC alone was contributory in 65.5% (40/61) cases in typing the lymphoma. In 11.4% (7/61) cases, the lymphoma could not be classified by either technique. Thus, in a total of 88.5% (54/61) cases a combination of FCI and CB-ICC from FNA enabled a diagnosis of lymphoma with its subtyping.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Flow cytometric immunophenotyping and ICC on CBs are feasible on FNA material and are very useful in a suspected case of NHL especially when a biopsy may not be possible or feasible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cytology and Gynecological Pathology, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Tuhin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.affiliation: Department of Cytology and Gynecological Pathology, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Upasana
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gautam
authors.affiliation: Department of Cytology and Gynecological Pathology, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Arvind
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rajwanshi
authors.affiliation: Department of Histopathology, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Ashim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Das
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Amita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trehan
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Pankaj
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Malhotra
authors.affiliation: Department of Cytology and Gynecological Pathology, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Radhika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
keywords: Cell block; World Health Organization classification; fine-needle aspiration cytology; flow cytometric immunophenotyping; flow cytometry; immunohistochemistry; lymphoma