Efficacy of a modified ultrafast Papanicolaou (UFP) stain for breast aspirates.

Rapid assessment of fine needle aspiration smears has become popular. The goal is minimal time required and fastest turn around time for test results in breast aspirates. In the present study, fine needle aspiration smears from 100 cases of breast lump were stained by modified ultrafast Papanicolaou stain which consisted of the following changes from ultrafast Papanicolaou stain: (i) Use of Gill 's haematoxylin instead of Richard Allan haematoxylin, (ii) omission of orange G from cytostain. Wet fixed smears subjeted to May-Gruenwald and Giemsa stain and an air dried smear subjected to modified ultrafast Papanicolaou stain were compared. Smears stained by modified stain showed transparent cells with crisp nuclear features in a blood free background. Total time required in this staining was 130 seconds. Out of 100, diagnosis was inadequate in 5 cases. In 95 cases cytological diagnosis was as follows: 60 benign, 27 ductal malignancy and 8 of inflammatory lesions. There was 100% agreement in cytologic diagnosis offered on smears stained by May-Gruenwald and Giemsa and modified ultrafast Papanicolaou stain.