[Diagnostic keys in conventional serous fluid cytopathology]

Cells from serous effusions can easily be concentrated by centrifugation. Thereafter, various procedures allow cells to be deposited on glass slides. Standard stains give excellent morphologic details for analysis. However, unsatisfactory specimens are frequently observed in daily practice. Standardization brought by liquid based cytology may be of some help for immunocytochemistry, but conventional methods remain essential. Several decades of experience and analysis of literature allow the authors to select the best criteria for interpretation, with emphasis on the differential diagnosis of malignant vs. benign effusions.