CYTOMORPHOLOGIC CHARACTERIZATION OF CELL SUBSETS ISOLATED BY DENSITY GRADIENT CENTRIFUGATION FROM TUMOR EFFUSIONS OF OVARIAN ENDOMETRIOID CARCINOMA

Aims: Cytomorphologic characterization of tumor cell subsets, accordin g to the stage of pathologic differentiation, and comparison of cellul ar composition in tumor cyst and ascitic fluids were carried out on in dividual patients with ovarian endometrioid carcinoma. Methods: A dens ity gradient centrifugation technique was applied to fractionate the c ells from tumor effusions. Results: The enrichment of cell forms repre senting individual stages of pathologic differentiation by gradient ce ntrifugation facilitated their cytomorphologic characterization. Accor ding to cytomorphologic features, 5 discell subpopulations were identi fied and catalogued. The cellular composition of tumor cyst and asciti c fluids in individual patients was similar, but the number of fractio ns and percentage of cell subsets differed. Conclusions: The estimatio n of precise cytomorphologic criteria for cell forms in tumor effusion s facilitated the cytologic diagnosis of ovarian endometrioid carcinom a. The possibility to concentrate poorly differentiated, frankly malig nant cell subsets in low densities could significantly improve the dia gnosis of tumor effusions.