1989 Volume 28 Issue 3 Pages 378-383
Rapid pathological diagnosis during operation is mainly carried out by frozen section technique, but more accurate diagnosis is expected using cytologic studies by squash method. In this report meningiomas and neurilemmomas which have been regarded as not suitable for cytodiagnosis are examined successfully by squash method. In general meningioma cells have abundant cytoplasm and various sized fi laments spreading freely, while neurilemmoma cells have thin cytoplasm and soft slender filament running in the same direction. In cell clusters of meningiomas round nuclei of tumor cells spread at random with some of the nuclei scattered around the cluster, and whorls are sometimes observed in the cluster. In those of neurilemmomas, in contrast, elongated nuclei which are clustered tightly show parallel arrangement, but nuclear palisadings are hardly observed. Both meningiomas and neurilemmomas show prominent layers of tumor cells but not astrocytomas. Squash preparations of astrocytomas show many small blood vessels running among tumor cells.
