English

Abstract

Background: Cytlogical examinations of serous effusions have been well accepted and a positive diagnosis often considered as definitive diagnosis. It helps for staging and prognosis of the patients for malignancy. Accurately diagnosing cells as being either malignant or benign reactive mesothelial cells in serous effusions is a common diagnostic problem in conventional cytological smears (CS). Cell block (CB) method provides better architecture, morphological features between reactive mesothelial cells and malignant cells. Aims and objectives: To perform exfoliative cytology of pleural fluid along with CB preparation and compare the diagnostic efficacy of CS methods verses CB method. Materials and method: Total 48 samples were subjected to routine smear examination and cell block preparation. These samples are obtained from patients attending N.R.S. Medical College with clinical suspicion of malignancy. Results: Out of the 48 pleural fluid samples cytological diagnosis of benign effusions was rendered in (76%) cases and suspicious for malignancy in (16%) cases where as in cellblock malignant effusions were diagnosed in (32%) cases. There was no diagnosis of suspicious for malignancy in cellblock. Using a combination of the cell block and smear techniques yielded 24% more malignant cases in pleural fluid. Conclusion: Therefore, a combined approach of conventional smears and cell block technique helps to get an additional diagnostic yield for malignancy in suspected pleural effusion cases and increases sensitivity of cytodiagnosis.