J Clin Pathol Qual Control.  2001 Jun;23(1):209-213.

The Experience of Detecting Malignant Cells in Body Fluids Using Cytospin after Wright Stain

• Lee YJ
• Park DS
• Cho JH

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Increasing number of body fluids are submitted for cell counts, differential count, biochemical tests, and microbiology as well as cytology. The cytopathology is generally seen as a standard for detection of malignant cells, whereas the hematology is often depended on predominantly for cell counts, differential count, and sometimes detection of malignant cells in body fluids by cytospin examination (cytospin). We analyzed reported atypical cells or malignant cells by cytospin and were compared with some discrepant results of cytopathology in body fluids.
METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed 3,061 body fluids by cytospin after Wright stain which were composed of 1,632 patients from February 1997 to July 2000. Reported cases as atypical or malignant cells in body fluids by cytospin were compared to cytopathologic and or biopsy results.
RESULTS
The number of reported cases as atypical or malignant cells were 147 body fluids. Out of 147 body fluids (91 patients), sources of them are as follows; 104 pleural fluids (58 patients), 28 peritoneal fluids (22 patients), 7 bile juice (4 patients), 4 pericardial fluids (3 patients), 3 cerebrospinal fluids (3 patients), and 1 bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (1 patient). The 61 patients (3.7%) including 4 patients of only ordered cytospin were confirmed malignancy. The composition of 61 malignancy patients were 37 patients of adenocarcinoma, 8 of small cell carcinoma, 5 of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, 4 of non-small cell carcinoma, 3 of squamous cell carcinoma, 2 of ALL, 1 of mesothelioma, and 1 patient of melanoma. A concordant diagnosis for malignancy was given by both methods of evaluation in 48 patients (55.2%) of the 87 patients. The sensitivity and specificity of malignant cell detection was 100%, 97.4% by cytospin and 84.2%, 100% by cytopathology respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
The cytospin is available to confirm leukocytes differential count and a rapid screening test to detect malignant cells in body fluids.

MeSH Terms

Adenocarcinoma
Ascitic Fluid
Bile
Biopsy
Body Fluids*
Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid
Carcinoma, Small Cell
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
Cell Count
Cerebrospinal Fluid
Diagnosis
Hematology
Humans
Leukocytes
Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin
Mass Screening
Melanoma
Mesothelioma
Retrospective Studies
Sensitivity and Specificity