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Performing Laboratory
Billings Clinic LaboratoryMethodology
Includes liquid prep, 2 air-dried smears, cell block preparation, routine Papanicolaou staining, and microscopic cytologic evaluation.Useful for the diagnosis of primary or metastatic neoplasms; can aid in the diagnosis of certain infectious and nonneoplastic processes.
Specimen Requirements
1. Collect at least 5 mL of body fluid into a vial containing 30 mL of cytology fixative.2. Label specimen appropriately (patient’s name, history number, and specimen source) on the container—not the lid.
Note: Please complete a “Reference Pathology/Non-Gynecologic Cytology Request Form” in “Request Forms” in “Special Instructions” including specimen source and all pertinent clinical data (clinical symptoms, history of malignancy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and tentative diagnosis), and forward it with the specimen.
Reference Values
Descriptive diagnosis of microscopic findings are generally categorized as positive, inconclusive, or negative for malignancy.Nondiagnostic or unsatisfactory results are given when material is inadequate for a diagnostic interpretation.