Paediatric breast lesions are rare and mostly benign. Despite their benign nature, the presence of these lesions in this population often raises concerns. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) offers a minimally invasive, though its application in paediatric populations remains debated due to interpretative challenges. This systematic review aims to assess the utility, limitations, and diagnostic performance of FNAB in the evaluation of paediatric breast lesions.

Malignant pleural effusion is a frequent manifestation in cancer patients, with effusion cytology playing a vital role in diagnosis and subtyping. Present study evaluated the effect of sample volume on malignancy detection and estimated the risk of malignancy (ROM) by using the International System for Reporting Serous Fluid Cytopathology (TIS).

Background Blastemal tumours are quite frequent malignancies in childhood. In many oncological centres, fine needle aspiration is a part of the specific diagnostic procedure. In this review, the cytological features of the most common entities - i.e., neuroblastic tumours, nephroblastomas, retinoblastomas and hepatoblastomas - are covered. Summary Blastemal tumours are composed of blastemal cells, which are frequently rounded or oval. This morphological similarity among different entities requires detailed clinical and radiological information for accurate diagnosis. Cytological specimens play a crucial role, especially when histological specimens are not available or in cases where a prompt initiation of treatment is needed. Key messages Cytological smears are highly cellular and show specific patterns for accurate histological typing. The hypercellularity of cytological specimen allows for the use of high-quality material for ancillary techniques, which are important for assessing several prognostic factors.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) frequently requires neo-adjuvant therapy, leaving cytologic preparations-especially endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) smears-as the only naïve tissue available for molecular testing. However, their applicability remains underappreciated due to limited data and concerns about specimen adequacy. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of performing molecular analysis on cytologic smears to detect targetable alterations in PDAC.

Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) reporting systems for adrenal gland cytology lack global uniformity. Implementing a standardized global reporting system would improve diagnostic accuracy, risk assessment, clinical communication, and uniformity in adrenal gland cytology practices worldwide. The current systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the proposed WHO standardized reporting categories for adrenal gland cytology and evaluate the role of FNAC in adrenal lesion diagnosis.

Renal cell carcinoma frequently metastasizes to multiple sites, which often poses significant diagnostic challenges, particularly when the primary tumor is unknown or occult. This retrospective study analyzed 43 fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cases of metastatic ccRCC from a single institution to characterize metastatic patterns and evaluate the diagnostic utility of cytology combined with immunocytochemistry.

Spindle cell lesions in the head and neck often mimic sarcomas but may include a wide range of benign and malignant entities. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) is a minimally invasive method used to evaluate such lesions, though cytological interpretation can be challenging due to overlapping features.

Birefringence analysis is an essential tool in both histological and cytological diagnostics, particularly with stains such as picrosirius red for collagen and Congo red for amyloid. However, polarized light microscopy remains limited in many laboratories due to cost and accessibility barriers. We describe a low-cost "do-it-yourself" (DIY) approach using commercial polarizing films to adapt a standard brightfield microscope for birefringence visualization.

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) brings an important contribution in diagnosing pulmonary diseases. The analysis of standard cell distribution and the assessment of iron-laden macrophages (the Golde score) are integral to standard medical reports. However, the traditional cytological method of manual cell counting is subject to interobserver variability and staining quality issues.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most prevalent oral malignant neoplasm. Cytopathology may represent an important tool in the screening of OSCC, and liquid-based oral brush cytology (LBOBC) has been widely studied because of its clearer cell sample results. These cytopathological analyses could be more efficient with the aid of artificial intelligence (AI). The objective of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of two AI models (Papanicolaou and AgNOR Slide Image Examiners) in LBOBC analyses.

Distinguishing between nondiagnostic (ND) and benign (B) categories in lung cytopathology remains clinically challenging, especially given the significant overlap and the high risk of malignancy (ROM) often reported for ND cases. The 2022 WHO Reporting System for Lung Cytopathology addresses these issues but acknowledges that ND may carry up to a 60% ROM. We conducted a large, multicenter study to clarify the ND-B boundary and evaluate how radiologic findings influence ROM.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) represents a significant burden in Asia, especially in Southern China, with cervical lymph nodes being one of the most common sites of metastasis. At times, peripheral lymphadenopathy may be the only manifestation of an occult primary tumor.

The International Academy of Cytology in collaboration with the International Agency for Research on Cancer has developed a standardized World Health Organization Reporting System (WHO System) for the cytopathology of the lymph nodes, spleen, and thymus. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of the spleen and thymus, performed under ultrasound or computed tomography guidance, constitutes a minimally invasive, well-tolerated, and cost-effective diagnostic technique. Despite a limited number of published studies on the diagnostic accuracy of FNAB in these organs, it remains a valuable tool particularly when combined with rapid on-site evaluation and ancillary techniques, such as immunophenotypic analysis by flow cytometry or immunocytochemistry and molecular testing.

Cornflake artifacts that appear in cervical cytology are formed by a poorly dehydrated series of Papanicolaou (Pap) stains and dried before mounting. This study focused on the humidity conditions during Pap staining to investigate the cause of the appearance of cornflake artifacts in Pap smears. One SurePath™ liquid-based cytology cell specimen, diagnosed as negative for intraepithelial lesions or malignancy and human papillomavirus using the uniplex E6/E7 PCR method, was used. The draft humidity was adjusted to 30%, 50%, 70%, and 80%. Subsequently, poorly dehydrated series of Pap staining according to the method was performed. After the last xylene immersion, smears that were not dried and dried after 1, 3, and 5 min were mounted. Cornflake artifacts were not observed in smears that had not been dried and dried for 1 min under any humidity condition. In the smear dried for 3 min before mounting, cornflake artifacts were observed at only 80% humidity, and the ratio of cornflake artifacts to normal squamous cells was 0.04 corn/nsc. The ratios when smears were dried for 5 min before mounting at 30%, 50%, 70%, and 80% humidity were 6.44, 6.80, 6.53, and 1.46 corn/nsc, respectively. This study revealed that the appearance of cornflake artifacts in Pap stains under poor dehydration conditions is related to high humidity.