Faculty Collaboration Database

Detection of hyperdiploid malignant cells in body cavity effusions by fluoresence in situ hybridization on ThinPrep slides. Cancer 1997 Oct 25;81(5):299-308

Date

02/12/1998

Pubmed ID

9349518

DOI

10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19971025)81:5<299::aid-cncr8>3.0.co;2-i

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0031586508 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   21 Citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Benign body cavity effusions sometimes cannot be distinguished from malignant ones by conventional cytology. The authors performed fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on ThinPrep slides using chromosome specific probes to see if hyperdiploid malignant cells could be detected in 20 body cavity effusions. The results were then compared with those of conventional cytology.

METHODS: A total of 20 body cavity effusions from 19 patients were studied using conventional cytology and FISH. Probes specific for chromosomes 3, 8, 10, and 12 were used to detect hyperdiploidy on ThinPrep slides (Cytyc Corporation, Boxborough, MA).

RESULTS: A total of 13 patients had malignant conditions (either prior history of malignancy or the presence of malignancy anywhere in the body). Conventional cytology and FISH were both positive in 5 of these patients (6 samples) and negative in 2 patients. The results for one sample were inconclusive by both methods. There were 5 discrepant cytology-FISH results in patients with malignant conditions. One sample was positive by FISH and negative by cytology, one was positive by FISH and "atypical" by cytology, and three were inconclusive by FISH and negative by cytology. FISH results were either negative (in 4 samples) or inconclusive (in 2 samples) in the 6 patients with benign conditions.

CONCLUSIONS: FISH can detect hyperdiploid malignant cells in body cavity effusions and is especially useful when the major cell population consists of malignant cells that cannot be differentiated from mesothelial or "atypical" cells. It is less useful in detecting a small population of malignant cells hidden in an inflammatory or reactive cell background. More studies are needed to establish diagnostic criteria further and to assess the clinical usefulness of this procedure.

Author List

Florentine BD, Sanchez B, Raza A, Frankel K, Martin SE, Kovacs B, Felix JC

Author

Juan Felix MD Vice Chair, Director, Professor in the Pathology department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Ascitic Fluid
Chromosomes, Human, Pair 10
Chromosomes, Human, Pair 12
Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3
Chromosomes, Human, Pair 8
Diploidy
Female
Humans
In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
Male
Middle Aged
Neoplasms
Pericardial Effusion
Pleural Effusion, Malignant