Cytology

Question 1

What is cytology?

Answer 1

The microcopic evaluation of cellular material for diagnosis of disease

Question 2

What is a cell block?

Answer 2

A pllet or button of centrifuged cells that can be processed like a typical histological sample

Question 3

What is a conventional PAP?

Answer 3

Collected with a spatula or brush and smeared directly onto a glass slide in a thin layer, which is then immediately fixed with spray fixative (used to be hairspray)

Question 4

What is a non-conventional PAP?

Answer 4

Ex thin-prep or surepath

Specimen is collected with a spatula, brush, or cervical broom, then rinsed in a vial of preservative before smeared in a thin layer on a slide in the lab

Question 5

How to reduce blood in smears?

Answer 5

Add glacial acetic acid

Question 6

Compare the two types of non-conventional PAP methods

Answer 6

Sure Path: brush is swirled and left in the preservative, which is a very weak alcohol base, and preps are made by sedimentation of cells

ThinPrep: Brush is not left in the test vial, preservative is a weak methanol base called preservecyt, and preps are collected via filtration

Question 7

What are prefixatives?

Answer 7

holding solutions for certain cytological samples, especially important when the sample needs to be transported from one site to another, major ingredient is a form of alcohol

Question 8

What is Saccomanno and what is it made of?

Answer 8

A prefixative/holding solution made of 50% ethyl alcohol and carbowax

Question 9

What is alcoholic saline and what is it made of?

Answer 9

A pre-fixative/holding solution made of a 1:1 ratio of 50% ethyl alcohol and saline

Question 10

What is the difference between saccomanno and alcoholic saline?

Answer 10

Both are holding solutions used for some cytologic specimens such as cerebral spinal fluids

saccomano contains carbowax while alcoholic saline contains saline

Question 11

What types of specimens are cytology brushings?

Answer 11

PAP/gyn, bronchial, esophogea, gastric

Question 12

What types of specimens are cytology washings?

Answer 12

bronchial, esophogeal, gastric

any BAL or lavage specimens

Question 13

Which fixatives are acceptable for cytology?

Answer 13

typically ethanol or methanol, and methanol causes less celular shrinkage

Question 14

How to handle sparsely cellular specimens?

Answer 14

centrifuge to concentrate the cells

Question 15

How to reduce blood in smears?

Answer 15

Add glacial acetic acid

Heparin to prevent clotting at sample collection

Question 16

What are the four methods used to produce cell blocks?

Answer 16

centrifugation

Question 17

What are the four methods used to produce cell blocks?

Answer 17

centrifugation

clots and heavy mucous are preferred over sparse cellular specimens for block making

Spontaneous clots
cellular material trapped in mucous
loose cellular material
loose cellular material prepared with agar

Question 18

What is the purpose of a PAP test?

Answer 18

to identify HPV and cervical cancer or generally cellular abnormalities that may be pre-cancerous

Question 19

What are the collection methods for non-gynecologic materials?

Answer 19

Brushings, washes, our liquid collection like urine or sputum