Non-gynaecological Cytology
Pancreatic and biliary cytology
| Anatomy and histology of the pancreas |
| Fine needle aspiration (FNA) and other sampling methods |
| Reporting terminology |
| Normal cells |
| Pancreatitis |
| Pancreatic cysts |
| Solid tumors |
| Biliary tract cytology |
Pancreatic cysts
The evaluation of pancreatic cysts requires a multidisciplinary approach. No single diagnostic test provides 100% sensitivity and specificity. The absence of cyst lining cells implies a pseudocyst in the appropriate clinical setting, but this is a diagnosis of exclusion.
Pitfalls of pancreatic cyst fluid cytology
- Failure to sample epithelium (non-diagnostic sample)
- Difficulty in categorizing epithelium as serous or mucinous
- Failure to sample dysplastic/malignant epithelium
- Contamination by gastrointestinal tract epithelium or mucin
- Sampling of a non-pancreatic cyst
