Naval Kishore Bajaj1, Shrinivas B. Somalwar2, Ezhil Arasi Nagamuthu3, Sai Sindhu Kotla4
BACKGROUND
The causes of discordant diagnoses achieved at squash cytology of intracranial and spinal cord tumours were ascertained. Lesions having the advantage of diagnostic accuracy by squash cytology of intracranial and spinal cord lesions was also determined.
METHODS
Squash preparations of 72 patients suspected to have neoplasia were made and stained with rapid haematoxylin and eosin stain and toluidine blue stain. The smears were classified according to the cytomorphological criteria and the squash cytodiagnoses were compared.
RESULTS
Total 72 cases were studied, 93.9% were neoplastic and 6.1% non-neoplastic on histopathology. Amongst neoplasms, Astrocytic tumours constituted 26.3% of cases followed by Meningiomas comprising 20.8%. Amongst the benign lesions, Tuberculoma was seen most frequently (6.95%). Overall diagnostic accuracy of squash was 98.65%. On statistical analysis, Sensitivity, Specificity, Positive Predictive value (PPV) and Negative Predictive Value (NPV) of squash cytology were 98.6%, 100%, 100% and 80% respectively.
CONCLUSION
Intraoperative Squash is reliable, accurate, cost effective diagnostic modality when combined with histopathological and immunohistochemical techniques.
