Cytology Principles Flashcards
What does the Cytospin method produce?
A monolayer of cells in a small area for screening
It is particularly useful in laboratories with large workloads.
Can both fixed and unfixed specimens be processed using the Cytospin method?
Yes
Slides from unfixed samples must be post-fixed before staining.
What is crucial in obtaining a monolayer using the Cytospin method?
The concentration of the re-suspended cell pellet
Cytocentrifuge should spin at 1500 rpm for 5 mins and fix in spirit for 5 mins.
What is a characteristic of direct smears?
Quick and simple method to prepare slides for screening
It is employed for Diagnostic Cytology only.
What is used to represent a diagnostic cytology specimen in direct smears?
Cultured cell lines
Specimens are centrifuged to concentrate cells in a pellet.
What happens to the supernatant in the direct smears method?
It is decanted
The cell pellet is agitated or vortexed to mix.
Liquid based cytology uses which technology for cervical cytology?
ThinPrep technology
This technology is also used for diagnostic cytology.
What method is the Liquid based cytology process based on?
A filtration method
For diagnostic cytology, cell samples are pre-treated with Cytolyt prior to transferring to PreservCyt vials.
What happens to samples once fixed in PreservCyt?
The sample is processed on the ThinPrep 2000 or 5000
A monolayer of cells is achieved on a glass slide for staining.
What is the immediate fixation requirement for Papanicolaou Stain?
Requires immediate fixation in 95% alcohol to avoid air drying.
This is crucial for preserving cellular morphology.
What is Harris Haematoxylin?
A basic dye that binds to acidic sulfate group of DNA.
It is used in the staining process for nuclei.
What is the purpose of differentiation in Papanicolaou Stain?
To selectively remove excess stain from all except the structures to be demonstrated.
This step enhances the visibility of specific cellular components.
What happens during the blueing process in Papanicolaou Stain?
Alum haematoxylin stain red colour to nuclei is converted to blue-black when washed in weak alkali solution like tap water.
This enhances contrast in staining.
What is the rinsing requirement after staining with Papanicolaou?
Rinse in 70% + 95% alcohol because OG6 and EA50 are alcohol-based dyes.
This step is important for proper dye fixation.
What color do nuclei appear after Papanicolaou Stain?
Blue/black.
This indicates successful nuclear staining.
What colors represent the cytoplasm in Papanicolaou Stain?
Spectrum of pink, orange, green.
This variation indicates different cellular types.
How do acidophilic cells appear in Papanicolaou Stain?
Red.
This is due to their affinity for the acidic dye.
What color do basophilic cells show in Papanicolaou Stain?
Blue-green.
This is indicative of their affinity for basic dyes.
What color do erythrocytes appear in Papanicolaou Stain?
Orange-red to dark pink.
This helps in identifying red blood cells in the sample.
What color does keratin show in Papanicolaou Stain?
Orange-red.
This indicates the presence of keratinized cells.
How do superficial cells appear in Papanicolaou Stain?
Pink.
This reflects their cellular characteristics.
What colors represent intermediate and parabasal cells in Papanicolaou Stain?
Blue-green.
This assists in differentiating these cell types.
What color do eosinophils appear in Papanicolaou Stain?
Orange-red.
This is indicative of their granules.
What can metaplastic cells contain in terms of staining?
May contain both blue/green and pink.
This reflects their transitional nature.
What is a limitation of the Papanicolaou test?
It is only a screening test – has low sensitivity with limited accuracy.
This means it may miss some abnormalities.
What are two key characteristics of cellular appearance in Papanicolaou Stain?
Cellular transparency + crisp nuclear staining.
These features enhance the quality of the analysis.
What is the principle of Speedy-Diff stain?
Commercial Romanowsky stain used to rapidly stain and differentiate variety of pathology specimens.
Speedy-Diff stain is known for its efficiency in pathology.
What type of samples can Speedy-Diff stain be used on?
Air-dried samples
Air-dried samples have less nuclear detail but larger cells.
What is the appearance of nuclei when stained with Speedy-Diff?
Deep blue/purple
The staining intensity can help in identifying cellular structures.
What color does the cytoplasm appear when using Speedy-Diff stain?
Blue to mauve
The color variation helps in differentiating cell types.
What color do red blood cells appear when stained with Speedy-Diff?
Salmon pink
This color helps in easily identifying RBCs in samples.
Fill in the blank: Speedy-Diff stain can be used on _______ samples.
air-dried
This allows for practical applications in various pathology settings.
True or False: Speedy-Diff stain provides more nuclear detail in air-dried samples.
False
Air-dried samples have less nuclear detail.
