Value of non-gynaecologic cytology in the management of patients: our experience over a 6 year period

Abstract

Background: Fluid cytology is the study of serous effusions, urine and sputum. These fluids are valuable in the diagnosis of malignancy, non-infectious inflammatory and infectious diseases in the area they are produced.

Objective: The aim of this study is to present our experience with non-gynaecologic cytology in our centre, highlighting the diagnoses and the need to improve the value of this important investigation.

Methods: This is a six year retrospective study of all nongynaecologic cytology requests received at Pathology department in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital and LagPath Consulting laboratory in Ikeja between 1^st January 2008 and 31^st December 2013. Smears of the aspirate were made on two sets of slides and were stained with Papanicolaou and May-Grunwald-Giemsa stains. All cytological slides were retrieved and re-evaluated. Clinical information such as the age, sex and type of cytology were retrieved from the request forms.

Results: A total of 519 patients were seen with male to female ratio of 1:1.8 with a mean age of 43 ± 19.3 years and an age range of 1 to 100 years. Ascitic fluid cytology accounted for 294 (56.6%) of cases while pleural effusion 127 (24.5%), sputum 34 (6.5%), ovarian fluid 31 (6.0%) and urine 28 (5.4%) were other cases seen. Most of the specimens received were benign (70.9%) while 38 (7.3%) were malignant. About 12.5% of ascites cases and 13.6% urine were malignant.

Conclusion: The study showed ascitic fluid/peritoneal effusion is the most common fluid cytology request which also recorded the highest diagnosis of malignancy among the requests. Fluid cytology is an appropriate investigation for all age groups. Fluid/exfoliative cytology is a vital tool in the diagnosis of cancer in our environment.

Keywords: Fluid cytology, ascites, pleural effusion, exfoliative