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Updated: Feb 9, 2026

Preparation and Using Phantom Lesions to Practice Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsies
Published on: September 29, 2009
Modified Plasma-Thrombin Method of Cell Block Preparation for Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsies in Resource-Limited
Omonigho Aisagbonhi1,2, Abraham Birungi2, Raymond Atwine2
1Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.
Objectives:
The plasma-thrombin method is commonly used to make cell blocks from fine-needle aspiration (FNA) samples but requires centrifugation. We describe a modification to this method that does not require centrifugation for use in resource-limited settings.
Methods:
Pooled fresh plasma is aliquoted into 2-mL Eppendorf tubes and the FNA sample directly rinsed into the plasma. Two drops of reconstituted thrombin are added and gently mixed. A cell clot is transferred to a tissue bag, fixed in formalin, and processed. This method was applied to FNA samples from 44 patients presenting to the Mbarara University of Science and Technology FNA clinic.
Results:
The cell blocks were less cellular than the smears but contained adequate material to confirm morphologic impression or perform immunocytochemistry in 36 of 44 cases (82% adequacy rate).
Conclusions:
The modified plasma-thrombin method is a reliable cell block preparation method that can be easily applied in resource-limited settings.
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