Cytomorphological evaluation of ascitic and pleural fluid with special reference to cell block method

Abstract

: The cytological examination of serous effusions helps in diagnosis, staging and prognostication of patients with various malignancies. Combined analysis of Conventional smear and Cell block methods increases the diagnostic value of serous effusions. Of this study is to evaluate the cytomorphological features of ascitic and pleural fluids by the Conventional smear (CS) technique and the Cell block (CB) method, to compare them and also to assess the utility of their combined approach in the diagnosis of malignancy. : It is a cross sectional study, 110 specimens (64 ascitic and 46 pleural fluids) were subjected to evaluation by both CS and CB methods over a period of one year. Cellularity, architecture patterns, morphological features, nuclear & cytoplasmic details and also yield for malignancy were compared. Chi-square and p-value were calculated. Cell block method provided higher cellularity, better architectural patterns and additional yield for malignancy as compared to Conventional smear method. Chi square -19.0275, p- value is 0.000776. The p value is p<0.05, it is statistically significant. The present study shows that it is advisable to routinely make CBs in every cases that were suspicious for malignancy by CS method.