Electron microscopy applied to fine-needle aspiration. A report of six cases from various sites

The authors report the results obtained from the application of electron microscopy techniques to the cytology of fine-needle-aspirated samples of neoplastic lesions from various body sites. These results show that the tissue structure, which is usually lost during the squashing necessary for light microscopy cytology, is preserved when the samples are processed for ultrastructural analysis. Electron microscopy also allows a highly detailed study of the cell's inner structures. Thus, when this technique is applied, fine needle-aspirated samples can be regarded as actual microbiopsies. However, because of the high cost of ultrastructural techniques, we suggest that actual analysis be performed only in selected cases, whereas fixation and inclusion for electron microscopy could be done routinely.