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Background:Liquid-based cytology technique enables cells to be suspended in a liquid medium and spread in a monolayer, making better morphological assessment. Automated techniques have been widely used, but limited due to cost and availability.Aim:The aim was to establish manual liquid-based cytology (MLBC) technique on fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) material and compare its results with conventional technique.Materials and Methods:In this study, we examined cells trapped in needles hub used for the collection of FNAC samples. 50 cases were examined by the MLBC technique and compared with the conventional FNAC technique. By centrifugation, sediment was obtained and imprint was taken on defined area. Papanicolaou (Pap) and May-Grünwald Giemsa (MGG) staining was done. Direct smears and MLBC smears were compared for cellularity, background, cellular preservation, and nuclear preservation. Slides were diagnosed independently by two cytologists with more than 5 years’ experience. Standard error of proportion was used for statistical analysis.Results:Cellularity was low in MLBC as compared with conventional smears, which is expected as remnant material in the needle hub was used. Nuclei overlap to a lesser extent and hemorrhage and necrosis was reduced, so cell morphology can be better studied in the MLBC technique. P value obtained was <0.05.Conclusion:This MLBC technique gives results comparable to the conventional technique with better morphology. In a set up where aspirators are learners, this technique will ensure adequacy due to remnant in needle hub getting processed

The thymus is a lymphatic organ that plays a vital role in the development of immunity in childhood. The thymus involutes during periods of stress and may acutely decrease in size but usually recovers to its normal size. The thymus also involutes during pregnancy, a process that is possibly hormonally mediated and thought to be necessary for fetal survival. This report describes two pregnant patients with signs and symptoms suggestive of pulmonary embolism who were incidentally found to have thymic enlargement on computed tomography. Follow-up imaging postpartum in both cases demonstrates a significant reduction in thymus size, suggesting thymic hyperplasia. Both patients delivered healthy babies at term. Thymic involution does not universally occur in pregnancy, challenging the theory of its necessity to fetal survival.