Multicystic renal dysplasia, a histomorphological spectrum: Seven years experience from a tertiary care hospital.

OBJECTIVES: Multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK) is defined as the presence of multiple noncommunicating cysts of various sizes, detected sonographically, without evidence of functioning renal parenchyma on dimercaptosuccinic acid renal scan. It has an incidence of 1:4000 live births. They are more commonly diagnosed in boys, usually on the left side, but may also be bilateral. There is the presence of primitive ducts surrounded by fibromuscular connective tissue. These are because of the disturbed connection of the ureteric bud with renal blastema and abnormal division at the stage of metanephros, resulting in an abnormal metanephros differentiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty cases of MCDK were included to study their histomorphology along with their clinical features. Cases were retrieved from the last seven years (2015-2021) from the Department of Pathology, Maulana Azad Medical College. RESULT: Age ranged from 10 days to 18 years. The cases were between 1 years and 5 years of age. Six out of 30 cases (20%) were infants with three of them being neonates. Twenty-one cases were males. All the cases had unilateral kidney involvement with the left kidney being involved in 20 out of 30 cases. Twenty-eight cases underwent nephrectomy in view of small contracted nonfunctional kidneys with one of them being horseshoe shaped. Five cases had associated hydronephrosis (two ipsilateral and three bilateral). One case had Hirshprung's disease, four had anorectal malformation, two had posterior urethral valves with vesicourethral reflux, one had duplex moiety, and one had undescended testes. On histopathological examination, all of them showed the presence of immature disorganized tubules surrounded by a collarette of immature mesenchymal stroma. One of the cases showed osteoid formation and four had areas of immature cartilage. Normal kidney parenchyma was seen at the periphery in four cases. CONCLUSION: This series has been presented to highlight the various histomorphological features of MCDK. MCDK can be managed conservatively in most of cases due to autoinvolution and, hence, needs to be differentiated from other close differentials like polycystic kidney disease, cystic nephroma, and cystic partially differentiated nephroblastoma in order to avoid unnecessary surgical intervention.

Sebaceous carcinoma with apocrine differentiation arising in a known case of basal cell carcinoma: A rare entity.

Sebaceous carcinoma is a ra malignant tumor of adnexal origin arising from sebaceous glands. It is most commonly seen arising from the eyelids and head and neck. It is predominantly seen in females with an average age of around 65 years. Apocrine differentiation in sebaceous carcinomas is rare but has been reported in the literature. Here, we present a case of sebaceous carcinoma with apocrine differentiation in a 62-year- old female who was a diagnosed case of basal cell carinoma.

Correlation of ultrasound-based TIRADS and the Bethesda system for reporting of thyroid cytopathology: A study in a tertiary care centre.

BACKGROUND: The age-standardised incidence rate of thyroid cancer in India is 1 in 416 in the general population. This increased incidence has mainly been attributed to improved detection methods for small thyroid lesions. Two such methods are the American College of Radiology Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (ACR TIRADS) and the Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (TBSRTC). AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To study the correlation between ACR TIRADS and TBSRTC, and between each system and the final histopathological report. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thyroid cytopathology cases were retrieved for the period January 2019 to July 2022. For each case, the TIRADS score and Bethesda category were noted. Histopathology specimens were also traced. RESULTS: The study comprised 1100 cases, with 955 female and 145 male patients (M:F = 1:6.59), and ages ranging between 7 and 85 years. The TIRADS scoring was available for 1036 cases. Histopathology was available for 231 cases. There was a significant correlation between TIRADS and TBSRTC, with a p-value of 0.000 and a substantial Kappa agreement of 0.688. Both TIRADS and TBSRTC also had significant correlations with the histopathology data, with a p-value of 0.000 for each. The sensitivity values for TBSRTC and TIRADS were 69.4% and 65.8%; specificity, 99.3% and 96.5%; positive predictive value (PPV), 98.3% and 91.8%; and negative predictive value (NPV) 84.7% and 84.4%, respectively. The risk of malignancy (ROM) was also calculated and was found to be high, especially for TBSRTC II, III, IV and V (11.3%, 20%, 61.5%, 97.4% respectively) and TIRADS 2 and 3 (10.3% and 29.6% respectively). CONCLUSION: The TIRADS and TBSRTC systems of categorisation of thyroid lesions are concordant and could help improve the overall survival rate of patients with thyroid malignancies.

An inguinal enigma: Myxoid liposarcoma in a female.

Myxoid liposarcoma of the inguinal region is rare, can mimics an inguinal hernia. Any swelling in the inguinal region, that is partially reducible, fluctuant, soft, and without any signs of bowel obstruction should be evaluated further.

Categorisation of peritoneal serous effusions using the International System for Reporting Serous Fluid Cytopathology-A study on gynaecological samples.

BACKGROUND: Cytology of serous effusions is an indispensable diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of non-neoplastic as well as neoplastic effusions, aiding in the categorisation, staging, and prognostication of the patient. This study focuses on reclassifying cases of peritoneal fluid cytology following the International System for Reporting Serous Fluid Cytopathology (TIS), highlighting various challenges encountered and adding to the body of data regarding the risk of malignancy (ROM), focussing on peritoneal effusions due to gynaecological causes. METHODS: Peritoneal effusion samples were retrieved from our department's archives and reclassified according to the TIS. The ROM for each category was calculated based on available surgical follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 818 peritoneal effusions were studied. Following the definitions and guidelines of the TIS, the cases were reclassified with 125 (15.2%) in the category of non-diagnostic (ND), 595 (72.7%) as negative for malignancy (NFM), 26 (3.2%) as atypia of undetermined significance (AUS), 12 (1.5%) as suspicious for malignancy (SFM), and 60 (7.3%) as malignant (MAL). The respective ROM values for each category were 16.9%, 12.1%, 50%, 80%, and 100%, respectively. By considering the MAL and SFM groups as positive, and the ND, NFM, and AUS groups as negative, the diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were determined as 85.2%, 36.7%, 99.1%, 91.7%, and 84.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Peritoneal cytology categorisation following the proposed TIS offered a practical approach for categorisation of the fluids received. The ROMs reported in our study were mostly concordant with those published according to the TIS.

Candida prostatitis: A rare entity.

Prostatitis may present with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) attributable to acute and chronic bacterial infections (NIH Category I/II) or as asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis (NIH Category IV). Patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome, (CP/CPPS, NIH Category III) may present with a wide range of symptoms resulting from varied etiology, however, seldom caused by fungal infections. Occasional case reports have been published on prostatitis due to Candida sp. We report a case of an elderly diabetic patient who underwent perurethral prostatic resection (TURP) for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and returned with complaints of LUTS and perineal discomfort one month later. After repeat surgery, the TURP chips on histopathology showed features of prostate hyperplasia and prostatitis with numerous hyphae and yeast forms of Candida admixed with acute and chronic inflammatory exudate. After confirmation by special stains and positive urine culture, a final diagnosis of prostatic candidiasis was made.

Coexistent Rosai Dorfman disease and Langerhans cell histiocytosis in an Orbital mass: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Rosai Dorfman disease (RDD) is a rare benign histiocytic proliferative disorder of lymph node sinuses. Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a solitary or multisystem clonal proliferation of abnormal dendritic cells (Langerhans cells) with varied presentations. The co-occurrence of these two entities is quite rare. CASE DESCRIPTION: A six-year-old boy presented with multiple mass lesions in the neck since two years and a nodular lesion in right upper eyelid for the past 4 months. He was diagnosed with tubercular lymphadenitis 2 years back, and was given a course of anti-tubercular therapy (ATT) elsewhere. No improvement was seen. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the cervical lymph nodes revealed reactive lymphadenitis while lymph node biopsy showed features of RDD. Excision biopsy of the orbital mass showed features of both RDD and LCH. The patient was started on tablet prednisolone. Six months later, complete resolution of lymph node enlargement and remaining orbital mass was noted. Post operative contrast enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging of head and neck was normal. CONCLUSION: The coexistence of RDD and LCH may be a result of divergent differentiation from a common lineage or a de novo phenotypic evolution.

Giant cell arteritis causing mesenteric ischemia without cranial manifestations: Report of an unusual case.

ABSTRACT: Giant cell arteritis is a medium to large vessel vasculitis involving most commonly temporal arteries, vertebral and ophthalmic arteries. Giant cell arteritis causing mesenteric ischemia is not so frequent, more so if it occurs without cranial manifestations. Here we present an unusual case of a 26-year-old male patient presenting with subacute intestinal obstruction due to giant cell arteritis leading to mesenteric ischemia.

Transformation of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma to lymphoblastic lymphoma.

Transformations in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) are extremely rare. Here, we are presenting a very rare case of DLBCL transforming into lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL) diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and flow cytometry. A 31-year old male on antiretroviral therapy and a known case of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma diagnosed 1 year back on cervical lymphadenopathy, presented with left axillary swelling for 3 months. FNAC and Flow cytometry were performed from the left axillary swelling which confirmed the diagnosis of LBL.

How Sleep Affects Recovery and Performance in Basketball: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Sleep is considered an essential component related to physiological and psychological recovery in athletes and particularly in basketball, given the impact of condensed travel and game schedules on player health and performance. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review is to examine studies published to date on sleep and basketball performance. METHODOLOGY: All scientific articles that reported a relationship between sleep and its possible impact on performance in basketball are included. The research processes followed the PRISMA criteria, and the relevant articles were extracted (PubMed, WOS, Scopus) as of December 31, 2021. RESULTS: Twenty-eight articles were selected for inclusion and data extraction, with 27 demonstrating that sleep is a vital component in the recovery of basketball players and their corresponding on-court performance. Three central themes that we identified: (1) the quality and extension of sleep (the better quality and more extension of sleep, better performance and lower probability of injury); (2) influence of the players circadian rhythm (travel and game scheduling do not currently facilitate or take this into account); and (3) higher training loads and/or increased stress may jeopardize a subsequent good night's sleep, which should be taken into account when scheduling practices and workouts. CONCLUSION: The current systematic review regarding sleep and basketball performance and highlights that there is a strong relationship between both variables. Collectively, the evidence supports the critical influence of sleep on player recovery and basketball performance and risk for injury.

Evaluation of immunocytochemistry on destained giemsa stained smears as an alternative to conventional technique.

Introduction: Protocol for immunocytochemical (ICC) staining in May-Grünwald Giemsa (MGG)-stained smears has been difficult to establish. It is the need of the hour to be able to use prestained slides for ICC in specific cases to deliver timely diagnoses and reduce inconvenience to patients. Aims and Objectives: To evaluate and compare the use of MGG-stained smears for the purpose of ICC, after de-staining and saline rehydration to that of routine standard ICC. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was conducted on 40 FNAC samples: 25 cases of breast disease and 15 cases of reactive lymphoid hyperplasia known to express pancytokeratin and leukocyte common antigen (LCA)/CD45, respectively. Air-dried smears of each case were stained by standard MGG stain and after the report was dispatched, one smear was selected and sent for ICC. The smears were analyzed to determine the overall result and grade each smear semi-quantitatively with respect to staining-intensity, stain-localization, staining-uniformity, counter-staining, and background-staining. Observations and Results: The proposed protocol was inferior to conventional ICC in all the parameters, more pronounced in pancytokeratin than LCA/CD45. Only 8% of air-dried smears stained for pancytokeratin showed optimal stain intensity (as opposed to 44% of wet-fixed smears), whereas only 14.3% of air-dried smears were optimally stained for LCA (as opposed to 85.7% of wet-fixed smears). Conclusion: The proposed protocol of de-stained Giemsa smears as an alternative to conventional technique for ICC was unsuccessful in giving satisfactory results.

Cytological Diagnosis of Malignant Mesothelioma: A Case Series.

Background: Mesotheliomas are neoplasms of the serosal lining of the body cavities. Diagnosis requires a multimodal approach of clinical findings, cytology, and histopathology with immunohistochemistry (IHC). The published sensitivity of cytology for diagnosing mesothelioma ranges from 30% to 75%. Aim and Objectives: This study aimed to calculate the incidence of malignant mesothelioma (MM) at our institute and to study the cytological features of MM. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study of pleural, peritoneal, and pericardial fluids submitted at our institute was done. The duration of the study was 8 years (2011-2019). Apart from examining Giemsa smears, a panel of immunocytochemical (ICC) and cell block immunohistochemical (IHC) markers was applied to achieve the diagnosis. These included calretinin, mesothelin, CK5/6, Hector Battifora mesothelial cell antibody (HBME), WT1, MOC31, CK7 and CK20. Histopathological correlation was done wherever possible. Result: In the present study, we compiled four cases of MM over 8 years diagnosed on serous effusion cytology and confirmed by immunocytochemistry (ICC)/cell block immunohistochemistry (IHC)/biopsy. This indicates a rare incidence of MM. The Cytological features of MM were studied. Conclusion: The diagnosis of MM is difficult, especially cytologically. It was found to be a rare entity in the malignant cases diagnosed on effusion cytology.

Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma With Bilateral Breast Metastasis: A Report of an Elusive Case.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a prevalent head and neck cancer, especially in Southeast Asia. Although its potential for distant metastasis is well established, metastasis to the breast has seldom been reported. To the best of our knowledge, this is the fourth report of a case of nasopharyngeal carcinoma metastasizing to bilateral breasts. A 35-year-old patient presented with left nasal obstruction, epistaxis, and a palpable mass in her left breast, without any cervical or axillary lymph nodal enlargement. Radiological examination with contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan and magnetic resonance and imaging of breast revealed the presence of enhancing mass lesions in bilateral breasts. Histopathology of the nasal mass was suggestive of undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Breast fine needle aspiration revealed an abundance of metastatic squamous cells. Immunohistochemistry examination was positive for chromogranin A, synaptophysin, and cluster of differentiation-56, confirming the diagnosis of a primary nasopharyngeal malignancy metastasizing to bilateral breasts. Differentiation between metastatic disease and a coexisting second primary is imperative for planning appropriate treatment and defining the further outcomes.

Diagnostic utility of flow cytometry in identifying histiocytic sarcoma-A case report.

Histiocytic sarcoma (HS) is a malignant neoplasm of hematopoietic origin. It is an exceedingly rare and aggressive malignancy commonly seen in adults. Diagnosis is difficult owing to lack of specific clinical manifestations with the absence of precursor lesions or causative agents. Hence, it primarily relies on histopathological morphology combined with immunohistochemistry, which is time-consuming, hence resulting in delayed treatment. However, diagnostic utility of flow cytometry is not well established in this. We report a case of a 45-year-old man who presented with right axillary lymphadenopathy for 1 month. FNAC was performed on the axillary lymph node, which showed large, atypical lymphoid/histiocyte-like cells. On flow cytometry, these cells were CD64+, CD11c+, and CD45+ suggesting histiocytic sarcoma. Similar morphology was seen on incisional biopsy. On immunohistochemistry, the cells were negative for B and T cell markers, PAX5, EMA, CK, ALK, and CD1a and expressed CD68, S100, and CD11c. A diagnosis of histiocytic sarcoma was made. Hence, flow cytometry can be a highly effective and powerful tool for the early detection of HS and can help in prompt treatment, given its aggressive clinical course and low survival interval.

Risk Factors Associated with Surgical Site Infection following Cesarean Section in Tertiary Care Hospital, Nepal.

Background: Cesarean section (CS) is one of the most performed surgeries in obstetrics. Surgical site infection is the major cause of morbidity and mortality causing an increase in the duration of hospitalization as well as the cost of admission for the patient. Objective: To determine incidence of surgical site infection following cesarean section, classify them according to CDC criteria, and identify the different risk factors. Methodology. This is a case-control study conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH), main campus of Institute of Medicine (IOM), Kathmandu, Nepal. Surgical site infections (SSI) in patients who underwent cesarean sections from February 2019 to August 2019 were taken as cases, while the patients who underwent cesarean section before or after the procedure and did not develop SSI comprised the controls. Visual inspection during ward rounds, reports from laboratory, and postprocedure follow-ups for up to 30 days formed the basis of identifying infections on the patients. Risk factors were identified by bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. Results: Out of 1135 cases of cesarean sections, 97 of them developed SSI with incidence rate of 8.54%. Among them, 94.85% were superficial incisional and 5.15% were deep incisional type of SSI with no organ space type. Cases had higher mean age 26.88 ± 4.38 years compared to 24.81 ± 5.08 years in controls. Host-related risk factors which led to higher odds of developing surgical site infection (SSI) were obesity with adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 15.72 (confidence interval (CI): 4.60-53.67), diabetes/hypertension in pregnancy with AOR 4.75(CI 1.69-13.32), and other medical diseases with AOR 9.38 (CI 2.89-30.46). Duration of the rupture of membrane for more than 18 hours with AOR 8.38 (CI 1.48-47.35), more than five per vaginal (PV) examination with AOR 1.93 (95% CI 1.03-3.64), and in labor status with AOR 6.52 (CI 1.17-36.38) were some procedure-related factors resulting into higher odds of infection. Conclusion: Multiple risk factors like age, obesity, medical complications during pregnancy, occurrence of labor status during cesarean section, prolonged duration of rupture of membrane for more than 18 hours, and more than five vaginal examinations before the procedure increases the chance of surgical site infection (SSI) following cesarean section.

MR imaging spectrum in COVID associated Rhino-Orbito-Cerebral mucormycosis with special emphasis on intracranial disease and impact on patient prognosis.

In the wake of the ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a new epidemic of COVID associated mucormycosis (CAM) emerged in India. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment of this deadly disease are of paramount importance in improving patient survival. MRI is the cornerstone of diagnosis of early extrasinus disease, particularly intracranial complications which have traditionally been associated with a high mortality rate. In this review, we depict the sinonasal, perisinus, orbital and intracranial involvement in CAM. Special emphasis is laid on intracranial disease which is categorized into vascular, parenchymal, meningeal, bony involvement and perineural spread. Vascular complications are the most common form of intracranial involvement. Some unusual yet interesting imaging findings such as nerve abscesses involving the optic, trigeminal and mandibular nerves and long segment vasculitis of the internal carotid artery extending till its cervical segment are also illustrated. In our experience, patient outcome in CAM (survival rate of 88.5%) was better compared to the pre-pandemic era. Presence of intracranial disease also did not affect prognosis as poorly as traditionally expected (survival rate of 82.8%). Involvement of brain parenchyma was the only subset of intracranial involvement that was associated with higher mortality (p value 0.016). The aim of this review is to familiarise the reader with the MR imaging spectrum of CAM with special focus on intracranial complications and a brief account of their impact on patient prognosis in our experience.

Fine needle aspiration cytology of primary thyroid non-hodgkins lymphoma: Experience from a tertiary care center of North India.

Presentation: Twelve cases of Primary Thyroid Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (PT-NHL) were retrieved from the records suspected or diagnosed as NHL on fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) over a period of nine years from 2010-2018. During this period 5236 patients underwent thyroid FNAC;of these 685 cases were diagnosed under Bethesda Caregory V and VI. Thyroid NHL constituted 0.23 % of all thyroid FNA (12/5236 cases)and 1.7% (12/685) of all thyroid malignancies. Patients ranged in age from 40-61 years with Female:Male 7:5. All patients presented with thyroid enlargement (5-14 cms), and were of two months to five years duration. Patients had history of tobacco intake (smoking/chewing)in nine cases (75%). Thyroid function tests showed hypothyroidism in four (33%), positive antithyroid antibodies in three (25%) and; two cases(16.7%) were known cases of Hashimotos thyroiditis with follow up. Cytological Findings: Eight cases (66.7%) had monomorphic large cell morphology,other four had mostly intermediate cell types (33.3%). A panel of immunocyto/ histochemistry (ICC/ IHC) showed CD 19 and CD 20 positivity in all cases;sixof these could be correlated on Flow cytometry (FC) with expression of FMC7, CD20, CD19 with kappa light chain restriction (5) and Lambda (1). FC findings corroborated completely with IHC on biopsy sections. The final diagnosis were Diffuse large B cell Lymphoma (DLBCL,8) and MALT- Lymphoma(4). The follow up was available in DLBCL (4) and MALT- Lymphoma (1). CHOP therapy were given in all patients followed by radiotherapy in DLBCL; one patient of DLBCL died following pulmonary complications, rest are well and alive on follow-up. Discussion: PT-NHL is rare in India. DLBCL is the commonest histological type reported. In the present study, tobacco exposure has shown strong association. Combined FNAC-FC provide definitive diagnosis and thus can replace histopathology reducing turn around time. Conclusion: FNAC -FC provides a definitive diagnosis and thus can reduce turnaround time.

Sensitivity of liquid-based cytology in the diagnosis of mucormycosis in COVID-19 treated patients.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is associated with a wide range of disease patterns, ranging from mild to life-threatening pneumonia. COVID-19 can be associated with a suppressed immune response and/or hyperinflammatory state due to cytokine storm. Reduced immunity, combined with steroid usage to prevent cytokine storm along with various pre-existing co morbidities can prove to be a fertile ground for various secondary bacterial and fungal infection, including mucormycosis. Diagnosis of mucor is a challenging task given high negativity rate of various detection methods. While histopathology is considered the gold standard, the acquisition of necessary tissue biopsy specimens requires invasive procedures and is time consuming. METHOD: In this study various methods of mucor detection, like conventional cytopathology (CCP), liquid-based cytology (LBC, BD SurepathTM ), potassium hydroxide mount (KOH) preparation, culture and histopathology were analysed. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated for various methods. RESULTS: This study showed that LBC has sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of 72.4%,100%,100% and 38.4% respectively. CONCLUSION: This study showed that, liquid-based cytology (LBC) can be a rapid and effective alternative to histopathology in mucor diagnosis.

USG Guided Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology along with Immunocytochemistry to Diagnose Primary Malignant Mixed Mullerian Tumors: A Three-Year Study from a Tertiary Care Center.

Aims and Objectives: To study the diagnostic utility of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and immunocytochemistry in diagnosing primary malignant mixed Mullerian tumors (MMMT). Materials and Methods: A 3-year retrospective study carried out in a tertiary care hospital, which included all the gynecological patients who underwent USG-guided FNAC of their abdominopelvic masses. Observations and Results: Out of the 324 total cases, 05 (1.5%) were reported as primary malignant mixed Mullerian tumors. Out of these 05 cases, 03 were ovarian, 01 was uterine, and 01 involved both uterus and one-sided adnexa. The FNA smears from the masses revealed cytomorphological features of a biphasic neoplasm with elongated pleomorphic spindle cells and dispersed, focal attempted acinar pattern, thus indicating the possibility of MMMT. Immunocytochemistry was further carried out which showed both vimentin and cytokeratin positivity. The diagnosis was confirmed on subsequent biopsy and immunohistochemistry (without any histopathological-cytological discrepancy). Conclusion: Though the literature is replete in establishing a histo-pathological diagnosis of MMMT, the diagnosis on USG-guided FNAC has been rarely described. Emphasis should be made on the careful examination of small sarcomatous elements in smears. Utilization of cell block and immunocytochemistry with histopathological correlation should be done to avoid misdiagnosis.

Evaluation of Use of RPMI Medium to Preserve Cell Morphology for Pleural/Peritoneal Fluid Cytology.

Introduction: Cytologic evaluation is the best way to detect the presence of malignancy in body cavity fluids. Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) medium or RPMI 1640 is used in cell culture, tissue culture, and also to improve the cellularity and morphology of CSF cytology specimens. Objectives: To determine whether RPMI medium can be used to preserve cell morphology in pleural/peritoneal effusion samples. Method and Material: The study was conducted on 30 pleural/peritoneal fluid samples received routinely during 2 months for diagnostic purposes in our department. The samples were divided into four parts. One-fourth of the sample was directly refrigerated and the other fourth was at room temperature. In the other two parts, an equal volume of RPMI media was added, and one was kept at room temperature and the other refrigerated. These cytospin-prepared Giemsa-stained smears were examined for cell morphology, cellularity, and occurrence of bacterial colonies at 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, and 1 week, respectively. Result: Refrigerated RPMI medium is the best preservative for pleural/peritoneal samples; however, samples with RPMI at room temperature were equivalent/even worse than the simple refrigerated sample.