Fine needle aspiration cytology of the breast. A review of 1,868 cases using the Cytospin method.

The Cytospin method of fine needle aspiration cytology includes flushing the aspirate into 10 mL of Cytospin fluid; the cytocentrifuge preparations are then safely and conveniently prepared in the laboratory. Slides are stained with Papanicolaou stain and hematoxylin and eosin. From November 1989 through October 1992, 1,868 breast aspirates from palpable lumps were examined by this method at our institution. The method detected 398 of 441 cancers (90.2%); of the 43 that were undetected, 16 had inadequate aspirates, and 27 were falsely reported as negative (for a false-negative rate of 6.0%). There were no false positives; the positive predictive value for malignancy was 100%. The inadequacy rate was 14.8%. Excluding inadequate samples, the complete sensitivity was 95.2%, with 96.5% specificity. The Cytospin method of processing breast aspirates from palpable breast lumps is an acceptable alternative to conventional fine needle aspiration using direct smears. It is also highly convenient as an outpatient procedure, obviating the need for skillful preparation of direct smears.