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Prospects for utilization and usefulness of postmortem cytology
1Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, State of Maryland, Baltimore 21201, USA.
The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology
|January 16, 1998
Summary
Postmortem cytologic evaluation using fine needle aspiration (FNA) and touch preparations provides rapid, accurate diagnoses of cancer. These techniques offer an inexpensive adjunct to standard histology in autopsy cases.
Area of Science:
- Pathology
- Cytopathology
- Forensic Medicine
Background:
- Cytologic evaluation of nongynecologic tissues is a standard diagnostic tool for living patients.
- Fine needle aspiration (FNA) and touch preparations are established cytologic techniques.
- The utility of these methods in postmortem examinations is not well-documented.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the adjunctive role of FNA and touch preparations in postmortem cytologic evaluation.
- To assess the diagnostic accuracy and efficiency of these techniques during autopsy.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study of 13 autopsy cases.
- Fine needle aspiration (FNA) of superficial masses in 3 cases.
- Touch preparations of visceral lesions suspicious for cancer in 10 cases.
- Cytologic evaluation of alcohol-fixed, H&E-stained slides.
- Correlation with subsequent histologic sections.
Main Results:
- Cytologic material was diagnostic in the majority of cases.
- Touch preparations, combined with gross findings, diagnosed primary and metastatic carcinoma in visceral lesions.
- FNA accurately assessed local carcinoma recurrence and nodal metastases.
- Both methods provided diagnoses rapidly, unlike routine histology.
Conclusions:
- Cytologic evaluation of autopsy tissues is accurate, inexpensive, and rapid.
- Touch preparations are valuable for documenting carcinoma and metastatic disease at autopsy.
- These techniques can enhance clinicopathologic diagnosis in postmortem examinations.