Immunocytochemical Differentiation of Lymphocytic Effusions

Abstract

The cytological diagnosis of malignant lymphoma in serous effusions can be difficult because reactive lymphocytes may be morphologically indistinguishable from malignant cells in lymphocytic and other low-grade non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHL). Possible causes of lymphocyte-rich effusions are: viral pleuropneumonia, tuberculous pleurisy, infarct (lung), trauma (repeated paracentesis), irradiation, malignant lymphoma, carcinosis of serous membranes. A few recent studies have shown that some of the diagnostic problems can be clarified with B and T cell enumeration using immunocytochemical techniques (Ghosh et al.1985; Martin et. al.1984). The immunocytochemical labelling technique can be applied to routinely performed cytological smears. The laboratory procedure is simple, the material may be stored for long periods, and the labelled cells exhibit well-preserved morphological details.