Concerning various vacuoles seen in the cytoplasm, we studied and reviewed the origin, property, differentiation, and diagnostic significance.
Materials were stained with Papanicolaou, hematoxylineosin, PAS, alcian-blue, mucicarmine, Giemsa and Sudan III.
Vacuoles were classified as follows: 1. Classification by origin. a. functional vacuoles i. secretory type-glandular cells ii. storage type-glandular, fatty cells iii. phagic typehistiocytes, macrophages b. non-functional vacuolesdegenerative vacuoles in various cells. 2. Classification by property a. large vacuoles-glandular cells, signet ring cells b. vesicles-histiocytes, various degenerative cells c. single vacuoles-signet ring cells d. multiple vacuoles-glandular cells, histiocytes, degenerated cells 3. Classification by the kind of cells a. epithelial cells b. non-epithelial cells c. benign/malignant cells of epithelial and non-epithelial cells.
Differentiation of these intracytoplasmic vacuoles becomes a problem mainly on the cells within the ascites and pleural fluid. Diagnosis is available mostly by Papanicolaou stain, and by adding the PAS and alcian-blue stainings, vacuoles appearing in the routine specimens can be understood.
