
The Role of the Cell Block Method
in the Diagnosis of Malignant
Ascitic Fluid Effusions
1280-1283
Correspondence
Dr. Shivakumarswamy Udasimath, MD, DNB, (Pathology)
Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology,
HIMS, Hassan, India - 573201.
Phone: +91-9481730220
E-mail: udasimath@gmail.com
Background:
The Cell Block (CB) technique is one of the oldest methods which is used for the evaluation of body cavity fluids. The accurate identification of the cells as either malignant or reactive mesothelial cells is a diagnostic problem in cytological conventional Smears (CS). As compared to the older methods, a new method of cell block preparation which is being used, which uses 10% alcohol-formalin as a fixative, increases the cellularity, gives better morphological details and helps in improving the sensitivity of the diagnosis. Multiple sections can be obtained by the CB method for the special stains and immunohistochemistry studies.
Aims:
To know the role, utility and the sensitivity of the cell block method in the diagnosis of malignant ascitic fluid effusions.
Materials and Methods:
This study was conducted in the Cytology Section of the Department of Pathology. 44 peritoneal fluid samples were subjected to a diagnostic evaluation for over a period of 20 months. The cell blocks were prepared by using 10% alcohol-formalin as a fixing agent along with the CS. The cellularity, architectural patterns, morphological details and the cytoplasmic and the nuclear details were studied both in the CS and the CB methods. Mc. Naemer’s χ2 test was used to identify the additional yield for malignancy which was obtained by the CB method.
Results:
The additional yield for malignancy was 13.63% more as was obtained by the CB method.
Conclusions:
The CB method provides high cellularity, better architectural patterns, morphological details and an additional yield for malignant cells. Therefore, the CB technique could be considered as a useful adjuvant in evaluating the fluid cytology for a final cytodiagnosis, along with the routine CS method.