Year: 2026 | Month: September | Volume: 16 | Issue: 9 | Pages: 57-63
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20260907
Role of Liquid Based Cytology in Ultrasonography Guided Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology of Intra-Abdominal Masses - A Cross-Sectional Study
Prabhjinder Kaur1, Kanwardeep Kaur2, Harpal Singh3
1Senior Resident, 2Associate Professor, 3Professor & Head of Department,
Department of Pathology, Government Medical College and Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, Punjab, India
Corresponding Author: Dr. Kanwardeep Kaur
ABSTRACT
Background: Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a minimally invasive method used in the evaluation of intra-abdominal masses. Liquid-based cytology (LBC) is one method of processing aspirated material. The present study describes the cytomorphological findings, adequacy, cellularity, cytoplasmic and nuclear detail, and background characteristics of LBC preparations from ultrasound-guided FNAC of intra-abdominal masses.
Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study included 50 ultrasound-guided FNAC cases of intra-abdominal masses evaluated at the Department of Pathology, Government Medical College and Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, over 18 months. Aspirated material was rinsed into 12 mL BD CytoRich™ Red preservative and processed for LBC. No conventional-smear comparator was evaluated or reported in the present study.
Results: Patients ranged from 7 to 85 years (mean age 54.98 ± 14.56 years), and 35 (70%) were female. The liver was the most frequent FNAC site (24/50, 48%). LBC preparations were categorized as malignant in 33/50 cases (66%), suspicious for malignancy in 4/50 (8%), benign in 3/50 (6%), and unsatisfactory in 10/50 (20%). Overall sample adequacy was 40/50 (80%). Moderate cellularity was present in 33/50 (66%); good cytoplasmic detail in 40/50 (80%); good nuclear detail in 40/50 (80%); and a clean background in 44/50 (88%).
Conclusion: In this 50-case descriptive study, LBC preparations showed the reported levels of adequacy, cellularity, cytoplasmic and nuclear detail, and background cleanliness. Because no conventional-smear comparator or independent reference-standard correlation was reported, the present study does not establish superiority, improved diagnostic accuracy, or improved diagnostic performance of LBC. Larger comparative studies with predefined criteria and appropriate statistical analysis are required to determine the relative performance of LBC and conventional smears.
Key words: Fine needle aspiration cytology, Liquid based cytology, Conventional smear, Intra-abdominal mass, background, cellularity.