Diagnosis of Neoplasia

Question 1

Difference between cytopathological examination and histopathological examination

Answer 1

Cytopathological- examining cells- FNA biopsy
histopathological- examining tissue- surgical tissue biopsy

Question 2

Use of Fine Needle Aspiration

Answer 2

Use Wright’s or Diff-Quik stains
First line at gaining cellular material for diagnosis
Easily accessible for external masses, cost-effective, relatively low risk
Not enough for diagnois

Question 3

Use of surgical tissue biopsy

Answer 3

Not just diagnosis
impacts the patients prognosis and ultimately directs the therapeutic plan

Question 4

When would you take a pre-operative biopsy

Answer 4

When results can change treatment for prognosis
When it is safe to do so

Question 5

When would you take a post operative biospy

Answer 5

When result will not change plan for patient
when biopsy is dangerous e.g. in spinal chord

Question 6

importance of microscopic description of tissue biopsy

Answer 6

Describes tissue architecture
Cytological features (junctional change for melanoma, osteoid for osteosarcoma)
Invasion (adjacent tissue, vascualar)
Necrosis
Mitotic count

Question 7

Importance of mitotic count in biopsy

Answer 7

Gives absolute number of mitoses counted ina specific number of fields or in a specified area
indicates tumour grade

Question 8

Importance of tumour grade

Answer 8

Predicts biological behaviour and is based upon published grading criteria