The diagnostic utility of lymph node cytology samples in dogs and cats

Abstract

Lymph node cytology is a useful diagnostic procedure but educating veterinarians to improve sampling and smearing may increase diagnostic yield.

Fine needle aspiration of abdominal organs: a review of current recommendations for achieving a diagnostic sample

“…In feline samples, the association was not significant, although this may be due to a smaller sample size (Amores-Fuster et al 2015 ). Of the canine samples, 73% were diagnostic, and of the 199 feline lymph nodes aspirates evaluated, 86% were considered diagnostic.…”

“…Of the canine samples, 73% were diagnostic, and of the 199 feline lymph nodes aspirates evaluated, 86% were considered diagnostic. The most common reasons for a non-diagnostic sample included the absence of nucleated cells, cell disruption and a low yield (Amores-Fuster et al 2015 ). It is important to note that the lymph node samples in this study were not specifically from the abdomen, and in our experience, obtaining samples from abdominal lymph nodes is more likely to be non-diagnostic compared with subcutaneous lymph nodes.…”

“…In a study of 1274 canine lymph node aspirates from various locations, the median number of slides submitted per patient following lymph node aspiration was three, and in dogs, the number of slides was significantly associated with an increased probability of obtaining both a diagnostic specimen and a cytological diagnosis (Amores-Fuster et al 2015 ). In feline samples, the association was not significant, although this may be due to a smaller sample size (Amores-Fuster et al 2015 ).…”

“…The most common diagnosis from canine lymph node FNAs is lymphoma (27·5%) (Sapierzyński & Micuń 2009, AmoresFuster et al 2015, whilst in cats, reactive hyperplasia is most commonly diagnosed (32%) (Amores-Fuster et al 2015 ).…”

Cytodiagnostics of canine lymphomas – possibilities and limitations

“…However, it has been suggested that in veterinary medicine excisional biopsy of the lymph node and histopathology should only be considered when cytological examination gives an inconclusive result (Messick 2008, Comazzi et al 2014. Cytology is a cheap, easy to perform, safe and reliable method of lymphoma diagnosis with high accuracy compared to histopathological examination (Amores-Fuster et al 2015). In human oncology, cytological examination allows non-Hodgkin lymphoma to be recognized in 80-95% of cases; additionally, subtyping is possible in 67-86% of lymphomas (Das 1999, Alam et al 2010.…”