Optimization of Liquid-Based Cytology Block Preparation Using Modified Adhesive Centrifugal Sedimentation for...

Liquid-Based Cytology (LBC) is widely used for cervical cancer screening, which significantly improves cell dispersion and morphological preservation compared to cytology smears, but its detection rate is still limited, and the LBC block further improves on its technical deficiencies. This study optimized LBC block preparation by evaluating five methods using 90 cervical samples. Metrics included visual assessment, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, Immunohistochemistry (IHC) performance, and production efficiency. The modified adhesive centrifugal sedimentation method demonstrated superior outcomes, yielding well-preserved cell clusters with enhanced H&E contrast (reduced impurities) and precise IHC localization. Its preparation success rate reached 92.9%. Validation with 114 cervical cases showed cell blocks achieved 87.5% sensitivity and 96.9% specificity compared to biopsy histology, outperforming standard LBC. The method's simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and cell preservation advantages support its utility in primary settings for cervical lesion screening. Findings highlight LBC blocks as a reliable adjunct to cytology, improving diagnostic precision while maintaining workflow feasibility.