Role of scrape cytology smear preparation in the diagnosis of ovarian masses-utility and pitfalls

BACKGROUND

Scrape cytology technique is useful for rapid intraoperative diagnosis of ovarian mass lesions that acts as an adjunct to frozen section examination. Though ovaries can be accessed by laparoscopy and USG guided FNAC, there are controversial reports regarding the safety of these procedures. The present study has been designed to evaluate the role of scrape cytology in a variety of ovarian mass lesions.

OBJECTIVES

To study the cyto-morphology of ovarian mass lesions and to evaluate the role of scrape cytology technique in correctly diagnosing the ovarian lesions taking histopathological diagnosis as gold standard.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This is a prospective observational study done on 61 ovarian mass lesions as received from the Obstetrics and Gynecology department of our Institution.

RESULT

Out of 61 cases, 58 (95.08%) cases were correctly diagnosed with respect to categorization and typing. The age ranged from 14 to 65 years with the mean age being 38.1 years. On histopathology, out of 61 cases, 39 (63.93%) were epithelial along with sub categorization of benign, borderline, and malignant, 13 (22.9%) were germ cell tumors, 5(8.19%) were sex cord stromal tumors, 3 (4.91%) were hemorrhagic cysts and the remaining 1 (1.63%) was massive ovarian edema. Thus, on comparing with histopathology, the sensitivity and specificity of scrape cytology technique were 93.55% and 96.67%, and the diagnostic accuracy was 95.08%.

CONCLUSION

Scrape cytology of ovarian lesions can give quick and reliable results. Also, proper training of cytopathologists chiefly regarding the sampling technique, gross presentation of ovarian lesions and interpretation of scrape cytology smears is needed. Further studies to provide standard guidelines and reporting criteria will prove to be helpful.

Scrape cytology and radiological solid size correlation can be used in the intraoperative management of subsolid lung nodules

BACKGROUND

The term radiologic subsolid lung nodule (SLN) represents a heterogeneous group of non-neoplastic and neoplastic lesions. Intraoperative evaluation (IO) is often required to differentiate and diagnose. The current study aims to investigate the feasibility and reliability of scrape cytology (SC) and radiologic solid size correlation for the IO diagnosis of SLNs.

METHODS

Sixty-eight patients with SLN signs were eligible to take part in the study due to intraoperatively prepared SC slides. We managed to complete the blind radiologic solid size measurement and cytologic evaluation retrospectively. Cases were grouped into three categories based on their cytological features: Group-0 (Benign), Group-1 (mild atypical features), and Group-2 (severe atypical features/unequivocally carcinoma). IO diagnoses were given by combining the radiologic solid size and cytological findings.

RESULTS

Cytological features of Group-1 were observed in 100%, 93%, 32.5%, and 17% of the AIS, MIA, IA, and benign lesions, respectively. Cytological features of Group-2 were observed in 67.5%, and 7% of the IA and MIA, respectively. By combining cytology with radiologic solid size, 100%, 85%, 71%, and 83% of the AIS, IA, MIA, and benign lesions respectively were diagnosed correctly. Fifteen (15%) percent of the IA cases were underdiagnosed as MIA since their radiological solid sizes were less than 0.5 cm with cytological features of Group-1. Conversely, 29% of the MIA cases were overdiagnosed as IA since their radiological solid sizes were greater than 0.5 cm.

CONCLUSION

SLNs should be handled with caution in terms of IO management. SC and radiologic solid size correlation both provide a practical and tissue-protecting approach for the IO evaluation of SLNs, ensuring a high consistency between IO and definitive diagnosis.

Diagnostic Utility and Accuracy of Scrape Cytology in Evaluation of Neoplastic Lesions

Background

Frozen section, intraoperative fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and imprint cytology have been used traditionally by the surgical pathology laboratories for rapid intraoperative diagnosis of tumors. Scrape cytology is a modification of imprint cytology that involves lightly scraping or brushing cells from freshly cut surface of the surgically removed tumor specimens. The present study was carried out to evaluate the utility of scrape cytology in diagnostic evaluation of tumors.

Material and Methods

A prospective study was carried out at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Central India. A total of 50 consecutively received specimens in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine with clinical or radiological suspicion of neoplasia were included in the study. Scrape smears were prepared from freshly cut surface of tumor specimens received unfixed or in 10% formalin.

Results

Overall, the scrape cytology diagnosis was concordant with final histopathological diagnosis in 48 out of 50 cases with a diagnostic accuracy of 96%. The sensitivity was 90.9% (CI-58.72% to 99.77%) and specificity was 97.4%(CI-86.52% to 99.94%). Positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 90.91% and 97.44%, respectively.

Conclusion

Scrape cytology is a cost-effective and reasonably accurate cytodiagnostic technique for rapid tumor diagnosis. Scrape cytology can be a useful supplementary tool to frozen section, and may be applied for rapid diagnosis where frozen section technique is not available. The material and knowledge obtained from scrape cytology of routinely received histopathological specimens can be utilized as a teaching material and may help unveil diagnostic cytopathological features of infrequent cytologically encountered lesions.

Comparative Diagnostic Accuracy of Frozen Sections and Scrape Cytology in Ovarian Neoplasms

Introduction:

Frozen section is a well-established method for providing rapid and accurate intraoperative diagnosis. Cytological techniques such as imprint and scrape cytology and intraoperative fine-needle aspiration cytology are conventionally considered as less accurate alternatives to the frozen section. However, inexperienced hands, scrape cytology has been shown to provide remarkably accurate results comparable to the frozen section.

Aims:

The aims of this study are as follows: (1) To evaluate the diagnostic utility of scrape cytology in the intraoperative diagnosis of ovarian neoplasms. (2) To compare the accuracy of scrape cytology with frozen section in the intraoperative diagnosis of ovarian neoplasms.

Materials and Methods:

This study was conducted over a period of 3 years from 2014 to 2017. A total of 60 cases of clinically and radiologically suspected ovarian masses were included in the study. Thirty cases were evaluated using frozen section and 30 cases using scrape cytology alone. The intraoperative diagnosis of both was compared with the final paraffin section histopathology.

Results:

The diagnostic accuracy of scrape cytology and frozen section in determining a benign and malignant nature of neoplasm was 96% and 100%, respectively. In 93% of cases, scrape cytology enabled correct categorization of the tumor as surface epithelial, germ-cell tumor, sex cord-stromal, or others.

Conclusion:

Scrape cytology is an adjunct to frozen section for providing an intraoperative diagnosis; however, in resource-poor settings, it can be used as a stand-alone method for aiding intraoperative decision-making.

Role of scrape cytology in ovarian neoplasms

Aim:

The present study was done to evaluate the role of scrape cytology in the diagnosis of ovarian neoplasm and its utilization for teaching pathology residents.

Materials and Methods:

This was a prospective study on 50 solid/solid-cystic ovarian neoplasms sent in 10% buffered formalin. Scrapings obtained from the fresh cut surface of tumors were smeared uniformly on to glass slides, immediately fixed in 95% ethyl alcohol and stained with hematoxylin and eosin stain.

Results:

The overall diagnostic accuracy of scrape cytology has been satisfactory with 92% of cases correlating with the final diagnosis. Characteristic cytological pattern was noted in various types of surface epithelial, sex cord stromal and germ cell tumors. The technique had limited value in mucinous tumors to distinguish borderline cases from invasive carcinoma. Two mucinous carcinomas were diagnosed as borderline mucinous tumor and two endometrioid carcinomas were misinterpreted as cystadenocarcinoma on scrape cytology. Formalin did not interfere or produce any remarkable changes in cytomorphology.

Conclusions:

Scrape cytology is a simple, rapid, accurate, inexpensive adjunctive cytodiagnostic technique and its routine utilization in ovarian lesions could aid in expanding the cytological knowledge of ovarian neoplasms.

Scrape cytology in the early diagnosis of eyelid sebaceous carcinoma

The low incidence and the non-specific clinical symptoms led us to conclude that the diagnosis of a sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid often occurs very late. Sebaceous carcinoma of the ocular adnexa is a malignant neoplasm which can exhibit aggressive local behavior, can have pagetoid spread and can metastasize to regional lymph nodes and distant organs. The neoplasm is known to masquerade as other benign and less malignant lesions, and has relatively high morbidity and mortality. Scrape cytology was done in a 70-year-old female with a tumor in left upper lid. Cytological smears were suggestive of sebaceous carcinoma. Subsequently, histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of sebaceous gland carcinoma. The article highlights the role of scrape cytology in early diagnosis and subsequent appropriate surgical management of eyelid sebaceous gland carcinoma, to prevent recurrence and metastasis.

Leishmania life cycle images in the cutaneous cytologic smear of an immunocompetent patient

Cutaneous leishmania life cycle images on cytology smears are very rare. We report herein a gallery of cytologic images from a case of sporadic cutaneous leishmaniasis in a 61 year old man presenting with ulcerative skin lesion.

Cytodiagnosis of herpes simplex mastitis: Report of a rare case

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a rare cause of breast infection. Few cases of maternal-infant transmission of the virus during breastfeeding resulting in nipple lesions have been documented. Only three cases have been reported in nonlactating women. We report an additional case of HSV mastitis in a 36-year-old nonlactating female who was diagnosed on scrape cytology smears.