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D J Dabbs

Publications and source records attributed to D J Dabbs.

61 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Fine needle aspiration cytology of neuroblastoma, including peripheral neuroectodermal tumor, with immunocytochemical and ultrastructural confirmation.

Eleven fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsies were performed on seven children with neuroblastoma, including one patient with a congenital neuroblastoma and another with a peripheral neuroblastoma of the thoracopulmonary region. FNA cytology made the primary diagnosis of neuroblastoma in four of the seven cases. The other biopsies documented local recurrences and metastases to liver, lymph nodes, orbit and breast. The cytologic features included varying numbers of small primitive cells with scanty cytoplasm, poorly to well-formed pseudorosettes, cell processes, a fibrillary matrix and multinucleated ganglion cells. Five of the seven patients had electron microscopic (EM) examination of the FNA specimen, which in all cases confirmed the diagnosis. Batteries of immunoperoxidase stains were performed on all 11 aspirates with variable results. Staining for neuron-specific enolase was positive in four of the five neoplasms tested, although strongly positive in only three of the cases. Staining for neurofilament markers was positive in only two of five tumors. Studies for cytokeratin markers (AE1/3), low-molecular-weight cytokeratin (35BH11), hematopoietic markers (T29/33), immunoglobulin light chains and myoglobin were negative. One case was positive for vimentin. This study attests to the value of FNA cytology in suggesting a correct diagnosis of either primary, recurrent or metastatic neuroblastoma in children. Selective use of immunoperoxidase stains and EM on the aspirates may be of value.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Fine needle aspiration cytology of hemangioblastoma of the spinal cord. Report of a case with immunocytochemical and ultrastructural studies.

The cytologic features of a hemangioblastoma of the spinal cord diagnosed by an intraoperative fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy are reported in a 66-year-old man with a long-standing history of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. A dual population of delicate branching vascular channels associated with nearby coarsely vacuolated stromal cells was appreciated in the smears. Histologic, immunocytochemical and ultrastructural studies demonstrated three cell types comprising the tumor: endothelial cells, pericytes and stromal cells. Factor VIII-related antigen positivity, vimentin positivity and glial fibrillary acid protein negativity support the contention that all three types of tumor cells may arise from a common angiogenic mesenchymal ancestry. A discussion of the expected aspiration cytologic findings of other tumors of the spinal cord is also presented. FNA biopsy of suspected hemangioblastoma should be performed with utmost caution due to the possibility of extensive intraoperative bleeding, such as we experienced following sampling of this tumor.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Immunocytochemical staining of unstained versus previously stained cytologic preparations.

Immunoperoxidase (IP) staining of fine needle aspiration specimens may provide useful adjunct information in cytodiagnosis. IP may be used on unstained direct smears or cell block material if available. In the absence of such material, IP is sometimes used on previously stained (Papanicolaou) smears. Few studies have examined the adequacy of such preparations, however. We compared IP staining results on unstained, alcohol-fixed or air-dried smears versus alcohol-fixed, previously Papanicolaou stained smears and versus alcohol-fixed, decolorized, Papanicolaou-stained smears, using antibodies to keratin (CAM 5.2, AE1/AE3 and K903), epithelial membrane antigen, monoclonal carcinoembryonic antigen, desmin, muscle-specific actin (HHF-35), vimentin, leukocyte common antigen, B and T cell markers L26 and UCHL-1, and prostate-specific antigen. Seventy-five sets of smears were made from various neoplastic or nonneoplastic tissues received as surgical specimens, and antibodies were selected for anticipated positive staining. The results were graded in a semiquantitative fashion. All the methods gave comparable results regarding expected positive staining, background staining and preservation of cellularity. We conclude that these methods of smear preparation are of equal utility in adjunctive immunocytochemical studies.

Biopsy, Needle↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Intraoperative immunocytochemistry of cytologic scrape specimens. A rapid immunoperoxidase method for triage and diagnosis.

We investigated a rapid immunoperoxidase (IPX) method utilizing a wide variety of antibodies for use on cytologic scrapings of fresh tissue that were submitted for intraoperative frozen section. The handling, fixation and IPX staining of these cytologic scrape specimens are more rapid and convenient than frozen tissue sections and spare tissues that may be of small quantity for appropriate special diagnostic studies (flow cytometry, cell markers, genetic studies, electron microscopy, and so forth). Fresh tissues from normal organs and tumors were scraped with a scalpel blade, smeared on an uncoated glass slide and immersed in 95% alcohol for one minute. Antibodies investigated by this method included: CAM 5.2, AE1/3, keratin 903, desmin, vimentin, HHF-35, CEA, PLAP, NSE, S-100, HMB45, LCA, L26 and UCHL-1. Twenty-three fresh epithelial and mesenchymal tissues from the uterus, colon, tonsil, lymph node, kidney and adrenal gland were examined, along with 29 tumors. There were 21 carcinomas, 3 melanomas, 3 sarcomas and 2 lymphomas. Using the streptavidin-biotin technique with aminoethylcarbazole localization, IPX results were available in 15-20 minutes, comparable to the time required for the reporting of a frozen section diagnosis. Keratins, vimentin, desmin and LCA gave the best results. HMB45 was weakly reactive in one case. This rapid cytologic IPX method may be used as an adjunct to frozen sections and cytologic imprints for intraoperative diagnosis or for efficient triage of poorly differentiated tumors for special studies at the time of frozen section.

Biomarkers↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Fine needle aspiration cytology of pleomorphic lobular carcinoma of the breast. Duct carcinoma as a diagnostic pitfall.

Pleomorphic lobular carcinoma (PLC) of the breast is a subtype of lobular carcinoma of the breast that is well recognized in the surgical pathology literature. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) recognition of this subtype is important, for the subtype characteristically pursues an aggressive clinical course as compared to the classic lobular carcinoma of the breast. The cytologic literature on this entity is nonexistent. We describe the FNA findings in a series of four cases of PLC diagnosed retrospectively, discuss the cytologic features that are useful in the recognition of this entity and the diagnostic pitfalls, and propose classifying these tumors as a high (poor) nuclear grade variant of lobular carcinoma, analogous to the grading scheme in use for aggressive ductal carcinomas.

Biopsy, Needle↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Role of nuclear grading of breast carcinomas in fine needle aspiration specimens.

Nuclear grade is one of several key prognostic factors that should be addressed in the pathologic analysis of breast carcinomas. A recent National Institutes of Health consensus conference on breast carcinoma recommended that the nuclear grade assignment should be mentioned in pathology reports on such specimens. This retrospective study assigned a nuclear grade to all positive breast aspirates that had tissue follow-up over the previous 23 months. Independent, blind grading of the tissue specimens and aspirates revealed concurrence of nuclear grade assignment in 95% of the cases. Using the same criteria for grading tissue and cytologic specimens, it was concluded that assigning a nuclear grade in breast carcinoma aspirates is done with little effort, is reproducible and, with rare exceptions, depending on sample limitations, correlates precisely with the tissue nuclear grade. Since the nuclear grade provides such important prognostic information and is a fundamental cytologic parameter, the nuclear grade should appear in fine needle aspiration biopsy reports on breast carcinomas.

Biopsy, Needle↗