Objective: Cancer cell detection in the surgical margins of breastconserving surgical specimens using imprint cytology is becoming important procedure. Therefore, the cytological characteristics of breast ductal carcinoma
in situ (DCIS) as revealed by imprint cytology should be evaluated.
Study Design: We prepared imprint cytology specimens from the cut surface of breast cancers that had been surgically resected at our hospital. A histological section of the cut surface was also made. The specimens were classified as non-invasive (16 cases) or microinvasive ductal carcinoma (9 cases) based on the histology of the imprinted surface. The cytology and histology results were compared for each case.
Results: Malignancies were diagnosed in specimens with comedonecrosis (5 cases), cribriform findings (4 cases), micropapillary findings (5 cases), and in two solid tumors with a high nuclear grade. Malignancies were difficult to distinguish from benign diseases in cases with papillary findings (6 cases) and in cases with solid or micropapillary findings with a low nuclear grade (3 cases). Myoepithelium was detected in six cases. A fibrotic core was not detected on the imprinted slides, even in specimens with papillary findings.
Conclusion: The cytological features of DCIS revealed by imprint cytology can be divided into two types: one which was easy diagnosed as a carcinoma and the other which was difficult to distinguish from benign diseases. Accurate histology finding may be more difficult to obtain using imprint cytology than by using aspiration cytology.
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