PMID: 9642442Jun 27, 1998Paper

Static DNA cytometry as a diagnostic aid in effusion cytology: II. DNA aneuploidy for identification of neoplastic cells in equivocal effusions

Analytical and Quantitative Cytology and Histology
H MotherbyA Böcking

Abstract

The sensitivity of conventional cytology for identification of neoplastic cells in effusions is unsatisfactory, about 58%. The rate of diagnostically equivocal effusions in routine cytology is about 6%. DNA aneuploidy has previously been proven to be a sensitive and specific marker for the identification of tumor cells in effusions. In the present study we determined if malignancy can be identified in cytologically equivocal cells in effusions using DNA aneuploidy as a marker, thus decreasing the rate of cytologically equivocal diagnoses in effusions. One hundred cytologically equivocal effusions of the serous cavities were obtained from routine diagnostic material. Nuclear DNA content was measured after Feulgen staining using a TV image analysis system. Data were correlated with patient follow-up. DNA aneuploidy was assumed if abnormal DNA stemlines, a coefficient of variation of the first DNA stemline > or = 10% or cells > 9c were observed. The sensitivity of DNA aneuploidy for the identification of malignancy was 55.9%. Specificity of DNA nonaneuploidy for benignity was 94.1%. The positive predictive value of the marker DNA aneuploidy for the occurrence of malignant cells was 97.9% since all but one DNA aneuploid case showed...Continue Reading

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Cancer Imaging

Imaging techniques, including CT and MR, have become essential to tumor detection, diagnosis, and monitoring. Here is the latest research on cancer imaging.