M. Mravunac et al., APPLICATIONS OF THE MICROBIOPSY TECHNIQUE IN NON-CERVICAL CYTOLOGY - WHERE CYTOLOGY AND HISTOLOGY MEET, Histopathology, 33(2), 1998, pp. 174-182
Aim: To evaluate a recently developed technique allowing the removal a
nd processing for histology of thick tissue fragments, called microbio
psies, from noncervical cytology specimens. Methods and results: Forty
-five non-cervical smears from malignant tumours which contained micro
biopsies were selected and processed. Sufficient sections could be cut
in most cases for haematoxylin and eosin and an extensive panel of im
munostaining. Seventy-one per cent of histological slides from the mic
robiopsies were representative of the tumour and confirmed the diagnos
is. In 29% of the cases they were too small, contained non-representat
ive tissue or showed extensive necrosis. Surprisingly, immunostaining
results were at least the same and often better than those observed in
routine formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue. Immunostaining prof
iles allowed distinction of tumour subtypes. Antigen retrieval techniq
ues could be avoided in all cases. Conclusions: Application of the mic
robiopsy technique in routine cytology smears containing microbiopsies
is helpful, particularly in those cases in which the diagnosis is not
clear on the basis of the cytology smear and in cases in which there
are not enough cytology slides for immunohistochemical examination.