Blind Study of Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy Smears in Patients with Bioptically Normal or Cirrhotic Livers

Abstract

Coded smears obtained by the technique of Söderström (2) and stained by the method of May-Grünwald-Giemsa were studied by light microscopy independently by the authors, A and B. Complete agreement and disagreement of grade 1 were found in 94 % of smears examined for bile duct epithelium, nuclear size variation, and connective tissue, and in 100% of smears examined for vacuolization, granulation, and bile accumulation. Significant differences between the two groups were found by both investigators for bile duct epithelium (p < 0.005 and < 0.01, respectively), and for bile accumulation (p < 0.05 and < 0.025, respectively). Significant differences were also found between the grading values for vacuolization by A (p < 0.025), but not by B. Amounts of bile duct epithelium of grades 2 and 3 were found in about 60 % of cases with bioptically cirrhotic livers compared to 8 % of cases with normal livers.

Key-words:

• Biopsy
• cytology
• liver
• liver diseases