Cytology Sample Collection - Ex 6 Flashcards
Sample Collection - Solid Mass
- Aspiration 2. Fenestration 3. Impression smear
Sample Collection - Fluid-filled Mass
- Aspiration - direct smear - concentration preparation
Sample Collection - Excised Tissue
- Imprint - blot tissue thoroughly - roll 2. Swab
Sample Collection Guidelines
- Sample multiple areas 2. Aspirate edges of large lesions 3. Do NOT heat fix!! 4. Do NOT expose to formalin!
Aspiration/Fenestration
- Sterile 22G needle - 6 or 12 cc syringes - Stains - Scope
FNA - steps
- attach needle to syringe and position needle in the mass 2. rapidly pull back several times 3. release pressure and withdraw lesion 4. take needle off –> pull air into syringe 5. reattach needle to syringe and expel air through to push cells onto slide 6. use additional glass slides to smear sample 7. air dry and stain
FNF - steps *good for firm, nodular lesions
- 18 to 20 G needle 2. repeatedly reposition the needle in the mass without withdrawing needle from skin 3. expel cells in the needle hub onto a slide using air-filled syringe 4. use additional slide to smear 5. air dry & stain
Impression Smear - steps
- gently press clean glass slide onto the surface of the lesion 2. air dry and stain **good for ulcerated lesion
Fluid-filled lesions
- perform FNA 2. place portion of fluid into sterile tube for bacti or fungal culture 3. place additional fluid in an EDTA or heparinized tube 4. make direct smear *if cellularity is low - centrifuge and remove the supernatant and smear the cell pellet
Imprint - steps
- cut section 2. blot vigorously to minimize blood contamination 3. press onto the slide multiple times
Artifacts
- US/lubricant gel - eosinophilic material obscures cells - AVOID at all costs 2. glove powder 3. pollen 4. anucleated squamous epithelial cells - skin surface contaminants - finger prints on slides
What can damage cells?
- heat fixation - formalin fixation - poor sample handling *cell lysis, samples too thick, or poor staining technique
Staining - Cytology
- Romanowski-type stain - diff-quick - extra time in fix for thick samples - send through stains twice if needed 2. Gram stain - only useful to determine if bacteria are Gram-+/- - NOT a ‘cytological’ stain
Slide Examination
* Cellularity - high vs low * Cellular components - inflammation - hyperplasia - neoplasia * Background - blood - protein - broken cells
Cytologic Interpretation - Cysts
poorly cellular fluid-filled
Cytologic Interpretation - Hemorrhage
blood erythrophagia
Cytologic Interpretation - Inflammation
purulent pyogranulomatous lymphocytic eosinophilic
Cytologic Interpretation - Mixed
inflammatory & non-inflammatory cells
If a cytologic description does not make your clinical findings…
… question it! *small sample, may not represent lesion *consider re-aspiration or biopsy with histopathology

Gel

More Gel

Glove Powder

Pine Pollen

Surface Epithelium