Background:Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a well-established diagnostic technique in adult mass lesions but a comparatively new technique to pediatric lesions.Aim:The current study aims to evaluate the role of FNAC in pediatric age with special reference to pediatric tumors.Subjects and Methods:A retrospective study of FNAC in children ≤ 18 years of age presenting with mass lesions was studied for 5 years. Distribution of cases in different age groups, sex, and site of lesion was analyzed. Pediatric lesions were categorized into non-neoplastic, benign, and malignant conditions. Diagnostic efficacy was assessed by comparing subsequent histopathological examination wherever possible.Statistical Analysis:Epi info 07 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia (USA) 07) and values were presented as simple percentages.Results:FNAC was performed on 2903 cases in 5 years out of which 327 cases 11.3% (327/2903) were ≤ 18 years of age. Out of 327 cases, 180 cases 55% (180/327) were between 11 and 18 years. Male to female ratio was 1.15:1. The commonest site for FNAC was cervical lymph node swelling 48.3% (158/327). Reactive lymphadenitis was the commonest diagnosis among all mass lesions 38.8% (103/265), whereas Fibroadenoma 20.8% (10/49) was commonest diagnosis among benign lesions and among malignant lesions there were two cases 15.3% (2/13) each of Hodgkins and non-Hodgkins lymphoma and one case of chondrosarcoma. The positive predictive value of diagnosing malignant lesions on FNAC was 100%.Conclusions:The ease of FNAC along with its high diagnostic accuracy makes it a desirable method for diagnosing lesions in children.

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Introduction: Xylene is the most commonly used clearing agent as it has excellent deparaffinising and clearing properties. Commercial xylene is a clear, colourless liquid that has a sweet and aromatic odour. However, xylene is not only expensive but also has detrimental effect on human health such as hepatitis, chemical pneumonitis, depression, anaemia, etc. Hence in this study we are replacing xylene with commercially available liquid dish wash solution(LDW) which is not only cheap but also non biohazardous. Aims: To assess the efficacy of LDW with xylene as a deparaffinising and clearing agent in routine hematoxylin and eosin staining (H&E). Materials and Methods: Blocks from 20 consecutively submitted samples at RL Jalappa Hospital between Jan-June 2015 each of breast, Cervix, Lymphnode, Fat, Salivary Gland, Muscle and Alimentary Tract was taken and two sections of 4-micron thickness were cut and deparaffinised using Liquid Dish Wash and Xylene respectively followed by H & E Staining. The 280 sections of the 140 blocks were evaluated and scored by two pathologists independently for nuclear staining, cytoplasmic staining, uniformity, clarity and crispness. Results: In the samples evaluated LDW seems to be on par with xylene cleared sections in terms of nuclear and cytoplasmic detail, clarity and crispness. However Xylene cleared sections showed slightly better uniform staining. However both sections were equally good for reporting. Conclusion: Liquid dish wash solution is an excellent alternative to xylene in H&E Staining. However more extensive studies need to be done on other types of tissues for validation

Porocarcinoma (PC) is a rare malignant ductal carcinoma of sweat gland. It is predominantly seen in elderly patients with mean age of presentation of 67 years. Lesions are not clinically distinctive. It is most often clinically mistaken as squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, Bowen's diseases or pyogenic granuloma. A 65 year old female presented with complaints of swelling on the back since four years, skin biopsy was done with the provisional diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma. Histopathological examination of biopsy showed features of Porocarcinoma. Later wide excision of the tumor was done.