title: Thinprep plus Papanicolaou stain method is more sensitive than cytospin-coupled Wright Giems stain method in cerebrospinal fluid cytology for diagnosis of leptomeningeal metastasis from solid tumors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study was designed to determine whether the Thinprep plus Papanicolaou stain (Thinprep) method is more sensitive than the Cytospin-coupled Wright-Giemsa (WG) stain (Cytospin) method in diagnosis of leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) from malignant solid tumors in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). We also explored if the Thinprep method could be used in the differential diagnosis of the type of primary tumor cells based on the morphology of tumor cells in CSF samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  The morphological features of tumor cells in fresh CSF samples were analyzed using both methods. The tumor cell detection rates were compared between the two methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using the Thinprep method, we found that each type of tumor cells in the CSF samples had specific identifiable morphological features linked to their primary cancer origins, such as adenocarcinomas originated from the lungs, breast, and stomach, and lung squamous cell carcinomas, small cell lung cancer, large-cell neuroendocrine lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and malignant melanoma. In a retrospective study with 88 LM patients, cancer cells were detected in 80 out of the 88 CSF samples. In the comparative study with 45 LM patients, the initial detection rate of the Thinprep method was significantly higher than that of the Cytospin method (73.3% vs. 57.8%, P<0.01). The cell morphology was better preserved and subcellular structures were clearer using the Thinprep method, compared to the Cytospin method.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Thinprep method is more sensitive and suitable for LM diagnosis in CSF in patients with malignant solid tumors than the Cytospin method. The Thinprep method may facilitate primary tumor detection and help design early treatment regimens for LM patients with tumors of unknown primary origin.
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, the First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors: Zhenyu
authors: Z
authors: Pan
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, the First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors: Guozi
authors: G
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Clinical Laboratory, the First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors: Yongxiang
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Cancer Center, the First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors: Hua
authors: H
authors: He
authors: Department of Clinical Laboratory, the First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors: Xiaochuan
authors: X
authors: Pang
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, the First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Gao
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, the First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors: Weiyan
authors: W
authors: Shi
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, the First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors: Yu
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology, the First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors: Lihua
authors: L
authors: Dong
authors: Department of Clinical Laboratory, the First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors: Yuanyuan
authors: Y
authors: Song
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001399:Azure Stains / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D008875:Middle Aged; D065006:Papanicolaou Test / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D001399:Azure Stains