A Literature Review of the Diagnostic Utility of Touch Imprint Cytology in Lymph Node Lesions

Abstract

Lymph nodes are encapsulated bean shaped structures, which function in mechanical filtration of lymph, along with recognition and processing of antigens. Pathology of the lymph node can be either inflammatory or neoplastic. Since they are easily accessible in most instances they can be easily submitted to FNAC, Imprint cytology or Biopsy. In this article we are reviewing the utility and effectiveness of touch imprint cytology which can be used in the intra operative diagnosis of lymph node conditions. An elaborate search of all the material related to the topic was carried out in various search engines such as Pubmed. Relevant research articles were shortlisted between the period 1927-2020. Our study reviewed all the work done in this field during this period. It was found that touch imprint cytology had an accuracy of up to 98.7%. The procedure has almost 100% specificity and up to 98.2% sensitivity. With several new diseases emerging, and patients seeking therapy at an early stage of sickness, early detection is critical for disease management. Lymph nodes are one of the most essential structures that serve as a perfect breeding for a variety of diseases. The problems faced with aspiration cytology and the lengthy waiting period for histopathology diagnosis can be overcome with touch imprint cytology providing a simple, rapid, and economical method of diagnosis.

Keywords

• diagnosis
• imprint cytology
• lymph node