CONTRIBUTION OF TRANSMISSION ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY TO FINE-NEEDLE ASPIRATION BIOPSY DIAGNOSIS - COMPARISON OF CYTOLOGY AND COMBINED CYTOLOGY AND TRANSMISSION ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY WITH FINAL HISTOLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS

This report evaluates 74 fine-needle aspiration biopsies processed for transmission electron microscopy with subsequent surgical procedure. The specificity of diagnosis obtained by cytology alone was compared t o that obtained by cytology and electron microscopy, using histologic diagnosis as the gold standard. When cytology gave a diagnosis of mali gnancy but could not give tumor category or type, electron microscopy could correctly give both. When cytology could give tumor category bur not type, electron microscopy correctly identified type in the majori ty of cases. When cytology gave tremor category and type, electron mic roscopy confirmed the diagnosis. Transmission electron microscopy is v ery helpful when the cytopathologist can diagnose malignancy but canno t give tumor category and/or type. When the cytopathologist is specifi c in his/her diagnosis, TEM is not as helpful. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, In c.