Diagnostic Utility of the Cell Block Technique in Cytological Evaluation of Body Fluids: An Observational Cross-Sectional Study at a Tertiary Care Centre.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51168/rmc8q712Cuvinte cheie:
Cell block, body fluid cytology, serous effusion, pleural effusion, immunohistochemistry, cross-sectional studyRezumat
Background:
Distinguishing benign from malignant serous effusions on conventional smear (CS) cytology alone remains a frequent diagnostic dilemma. The cell block (CB) technique concentrates cellular material into a paraffin-embedded block, preserving architecture and permitting immunohistochemistry (IHC) on the same specimen.
Objective:
To assess the spectrum of cytological diagnoses and the diagnostic utility of the CB method, using 10% alcohol–formalin fixation, in body fluid specimens at a tertiary care centre.
Methods:
This hospital-based observational cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Pathology, Pt. B.D. Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak, from January to December 2021. A total of 156 consecutive body fluid samples were processed in parallel by CS and CB. Cases were categorised as benign/inflammatory, non-diagnostic, suspicious for malignancy, or malignant, and malignant cases were characterised by IHC on CB sections. Data were analysed descriptively.
Results:
Pleural fluid constituted 141 (90.4%) samples, ascitic fluid 13 (8.3%), and bronchoalveolar lavage 2 (1.3%). Males comprised 81 (51.9%) patients; ages ranged from 15 to 85 years, with the 41–50-year group most represented (26.9%). Final diagnoses were benign/inflammatory in 81 (51.9%), non-diagnostic in 42 (26.9%), suspicious for malignancy in 11 (7.1%), and malignant in 22 (14.1%) samples. Adenocarcinoma was the most common malignancy (11/22, 50.0%). CB sections preserved three-dimensional clusters and cell balls, and IHC, including TTF-1, supported primary-site assignment.
Conclusion:
The CB technique with 10% alcohol–formalin fixation is simple, inexpensive, and requires no special equipment. It improves cellularity and architectural preservation and provides material for IHC, making it a valuable adjunct to CS in effusion cytology.
Recommendation:
CB preparation should be performed routinely alongside CS for body fluid specimens, particularly equivocal cases, and prospective studies with histopathological correlation should establish its diagnostic accuracy.
Referințe
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Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Akhil kumar, Dr. Vibhuti Thukral, Dr. Ankita Kumar, Dr. Anjali Sharma, Dr. Veena Gupta, Dr. Sunita Singh
TAceastă lucrare este licențiată în temeiul Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
