Author/Editor		Kern, Izidor; Gabrič, Simona; Triller, Nadja; Požek, Igor
Title		Telecytology for rapid assessment of cytological specimens
Type		članek
Source		J Telemed Telecare
Vol. and No.		Letnik 18, št. 2
Publication year		2012
Volume		str. 86-9
Language		eng
Abstract		We investigated the feasibility of telecytology for rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) of cytological specimens. During a six-month study, 385 consecutive adult patients underwent image-guided fine needle aspiration biopsies of the lung or transbronchial needle aspirations of mediastinal lymph nodes. Direct smears were immediately wet-fixed and a cytopathologist or a trained cytotechnologist evaluated specimen adequacy using a telecytology system. Specimens were reported as adequate or inadequate. A total of 238 specimens (62%) were diagnosed without rapid assessment. The percentage of non-representative samples in the group without rapid evaluation was 42%. In the group of 147 specimens (38%) which underwent rapid evaluation, 48 (33%) were reported as inadequate and 99 (67%) as adequate. Only 22% of final diagnoses were non-representative, including samples which were assessed as inadequate by rapid evaluation. In three patients of 32, where the obtained material was recognized as adequate, final diagnoses were non-representative. Rapid evaluation with the use of telecytology improves the diagnostic yield of guided fine-needle aspiration biopsies by decreasing the percentage of non-representative specimens.
Descriptors		LUNG DISEASES LYMPH NODES BIOPSY, NEEDLE CYTODIAGNOSIS SPECIMEN HANDLING TELEPATHOLOGY FEASIBILITY STUDIES DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING