AbstractBackground: Getting adequate exfoliated cells in serous fluids is not an easy task and diagnosis is in dilemma which not only hampers patient’s outcome but also confuses pathologists. Materials from patients submitted in the form of fluids for cytological examination can be evaluated in two fashions :1. Smear technique following centrifugation of the specimen 2. Cell block technique. The present study was done to 1. Evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of routine staining method and cell block technique 2. To diagnose the type of malignancy and to know primary site of malignant effusion by special stains and IHC wherever possible. Methods: Fluids from aspirates of body cavities i.e. pleural, pericardial, peritoneal were collected over a period of two years from September 2014 to July 2016. Fluids obtained were first examined by naked eye for physical characteristics and then processed in two halves. One portion was prepared as conventional method and the other was processed by Cell block technique. Smears obtained were studied and compared. Result: One hundred and four samples were subjected to diagnostic evaluation. Along with conventional smear, fluids were subjected to cell block technique. The age of the patients ranged from 5 to 92 years. Male: female ratio was 0.7:1. The samples were categorized into benign, malignant lesions and suspicious for malignant cells. Additional yield for malignancy was obtained by cell block method when compared to conventional smears. Conclusion: Cell block method provides an additional yield of malignant cells, and thereby, increases the sensitivity of the cytodiagnosis when compared to conventional smear method and use of IHC help to identify primary site of malignancy giving more definitive diagnosis.
Keywords: Cell Block; Conventional Smear; IHC.