Test 2- Cytology

Question 1

When you analyze fluids what do you need to observe grossly?

Answer 1

When you analyze fluids what do you need to observe grossly? What is involved w/ fluid analysis
• Color, clarity, odor.
• Total protein using a refractometery. Cell counter (manual or
electronic- if sediment cells if count is less than 5,000 ul)

Question 2

What species has enough fluid in their abdominal cavity that you can retrieve and analyze and be w/in reference intervals?

Answer 2

• Horses

Question 3

What are important components to body cavity fluid analysis?

Answer 3

What are important components to body cavity fluid analysis?

• Cell concentration, protein concentration, types of cells present- inflammatory, organisms, neoplastic

Question 4

What neoplastic cells tend to float in fluids?

Answer 4

Exfoliate form tumors of lymphosarcoma/lymphoma or epithelia
tumors (carcinomas) o
n.

Question 5

What is the difference between transudates and exudates?

Answer 5

• Pure transudate is formed due to hypoabluminemia- decrease
plasma oncotic pressure
• Modified transudate is formed due to impaired blood flow or
lymph flow- increase hydrostatic pressure
• Exudate are due to increase capillary permeability (inflammation)

Question 6

What properties do exudate vs transudate effusions have?

Answer 6

Transudate- clear, total protein less than 3 g/dl, nucleated
cell count less than 6,000/ul and no clot forms.
• Exudates -have cloudy appearance, total protein greater
than 3 g/dl, nucleated cell count greater than 6,000, and
clots form.

Question 7

What can the presence of creatinine, triglyceride, bilirubin in an effusion tell you?

Answer 7

• Creatinine! uroabdomen look at creatinine over BUN b/c urea is more permeable and equilibrates where as creatinine is larger and takes time. (2x creatinine level in abdomen vs blood is diagnostic)
• Triglycerides -present in a chylous effusion
• Bilirubin -present in bile leakage-

Question 8

What is the suggested method to perform when removing fluid from a thoracic cavity?

Answer 8

Using a catheter (needle can cause pneumothorax)

Question 9

When aspirating into the thoracic cavity of cat, what do you want to make sure you avoid doing?

Answer 9

Aspirating the liver or heart. Liver can show epithelial cells in sample and can confuse for neoplasm possibly

Question 10

How can you perform a slide preparation of a effusion?

Answer 10

Push film-similar to blood. Advantage- Big cells stage at edge.
disadvantage Often cells are broken at edge.
• Line films- similar to above, stop quickly.
• Pull films- place a drop of fluid on slide, place another slide on top,
allow drop to spread and pull gently apart. Advantage- cells spread
nicely, disadvantage- no concentration of big cells
• Cytospin preps- concentrates cells nicely (especially for CSF, but
expensive

Question 11

What is a disadvantage to staining w/ diff quick?

Answer 11

• May not stain mast cell granules

Question 12

What color do bacT stain w/ wrights.

Answer 12

Wrights- stain blue. Easier to visual cells than w/ gram stain. Can
be misleading- both gram – and gram + stain same color

Question 13

What is the proper way to remove oil from a slide that is not fixed?

Answer 13

Use a detergent or instead of having to deal with it- just

permanently attach a coverslip

Question 14

What cell types may you encounter in an effusion aspirate?

Answer 14

Always will see red cells ( but abundance can demonstrate blood in effusion)- look along w/ PCV. If PCV of effusion is >5% it be can active hemorrhage
• Neutrophils, macrophages, lymphocytes {(lymphos should be smaller than neutros- If not probably will have a lymphoma (lymphoblasts)}, plasma cells.

Question 15

What are your different types of inflammation?

Answer 15

Suppurative (neutrophilic, predominantly neutrophils –
);
• Mixed (segmented, lympohcytes, macrophages, eos may be
present);
Mononuclear (macrophages, lymphocytes- remember they have 1 nucleus)

Question 16

What will your neutrophils show w/ a peritonitis?

Answer 16

w/ bacterial peritonitis! all neutros in peripheral blood will be put into site of inflammation – left shit neutropenia.

Question 17

What can you confuse mesothelial cells with when doing a needle aspirate?

Answer 17

Neoplastic cells.

Question 18

What are cell types encountered in neoplastic effusion?

Answer 18

Lymphoblasts and carcinoma cells – brought up again- its

important

Question 19

What are your criteria for dx malignancy?

Answer 19

Variable nuclear size (anisokaryosis), large multiple nucleoli (if
larger than 3 micrometers in diameter you may be suspicious of
malignancy), abnormal mitoses, nuclear molding

Question 20

What filamentous gram positive bacterial that can cause a bacterial pyothroax s common 2ndary to foreign body penetration?

Answer 20

Actinomyces

Question 21

What can you assume w/ a cat w/ abdominal effusion whose fluid
analysis demonstrates a high protein (ex 6g/dl) and low cell count
(4000 g/ul)?

Answer 21

FIP. Cats also have high globulins levels in blood and
present w/ vasculitits.
FIP fluid often only situation where you may have more globulin than albumin

Question 22

You perform an fluid analysis from a thoracic chest tap from an adult cat w/

dyspnea. Total protein is 5 g/dl, NCC is at 9,000 g/ul. The color of the fluid is
milky. High triglyceride concentration. You note small lymphocytes. What is your dx?

Answer 22

Chylous effusion. w/ acute! small lymphocytes predominate. When it is longer, more inflammatory cells come into play. The fluid has a higher cholesterol:triglyceride ratio compared to that of serum.
Often 2ndary to lymphoma->Lymphoblasts
present. but could have ruptured thoracic duct.

Question 23

In a hemoabdomen would you expect to see platelets?

Answer 23

Presence of platelets indicates blood contamination- in a hemoabodmen or hemothorax you should not see platelets.

Question 24

What should your cellularity be in joint fluid analysis?

Answer 24

Less than 500-2000 cells/ul, less than 10% neutros. Large

mononuclear cells predominate (macros, synovial linin cells)

Question 25

How do you interpret inflammatory joint fluid analysis?

Answer 25

• If suppurative- can be immune mediated dz
• If septic- difficult to see bacT.
• If mononuclear- degenerative dz or trauma (DJD )
o Glycosaminoglycan’s in background of slide! if don’t see the background shows diluation which is associated w/ inflammation.

Question 26

• Joints:

Answer 26

If infectious- high cell count, usually nondengerate
neutros, typically not see the infectious agent usually
single joint
o If immune mediated- low to high cellularity, increase in
nondegenerate neutros, usually multiple joints
o Trauma- usually single joint.