Comparison of liquid-based cytology and cell blocks prepared from cell remnants for diagnosis of cervical pathology

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer is a global public health problem with high mortality. Advances in screening programs for cervical cancer are considered key to eliminate cervical cancer. We aimed to examine the contribution of cell block analysis to the detection of epithelial cell abnormalities in cervical smear samples.

METHODS

A total of 559 patients with suspected cervical pathology were examined, and their samples were analyzed by both liquid-based cytology (LBC) and cell blocks. The biopsy results of 149 out of the 559 patients were obtained.

RESULTS

Of the 50 patients who were identified as HSIL by biopsy, only 12 were diagnosed as HSIL by the LBC method, 22 as LSIL, 12 as ASCUS, and 4 as ASC-H (p < 0.001). With the cell block analysis, results for these patients were: 20 HSIL, 17 LSIL, 7 NILM, 4 'unsatisfactory', and 2 ASC cases (p < 0.001). LBC detected only 1 of the 10 patients with biopsy-diagnosed tumors, while 7 of these were defined as HSIL, 1 as ASCUS and 1 as AGC. The results of cell block analysis in patients with biopsy-diagnosed tumors were as follows: 7 HSIL, 1 tumor, 1 ASC and 1 LSIL.

CONCLUSIONS

Cell block analysis might be superior to LBC in terms of diagnostic accuracy in cervical pathologies, particularly in the detection of HSIL. However, both methods were similarly poor in diagnosing tumors. Cell blocks may improve diagnostic accuracy and can be a complementary method to LBC, while having the advantage of revealing histological architecture.

Mycetoma (Madura foot): A Case Report of a Rare Tropical Disease in Turkey

Mycetoma is a chronic discharging infection involving the skin, subcutaneous tissue, fascia, and bone, which is endemic in tropical and subtropical countries. We report a rare case of mycetoma localized on the foot of a patient living in a country with a temperate climate. A 32-year-old male patient presented with painless swelling in the right foot. He had undergone surgery 3 years ago with the same complaints. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 90 × 65 × 37 mm cystic soft tissue lesion in the posterior of the right ankle. Histological analysis identified the fungus. Extensive resection was performed. Mycetoma is characterized by chronic granulomatous inflammatory response, often associated with sinus tract formations due to fungal (eumycetoma) or bacterial (actinomycetoma) organisms. Here we provide a literature review and highlight the importance of increasing awareness toward mycetoma, particularly in non-endemic regions.