Analysis of Vitreous Samples by the Cellient® Automated Cell Block System: A Six-year Review of Specimens in a Uveitis Population

ABSTRACT

Purpose

To further evaluate the value of a standardized method to analyze vitreous samples using the Cellient® automated cell block system in the diagnosis of unsolved uveitis.

Methods

Six hundred sixty-four pure vitreous samples obtained from patients with unsolved uveitis between March 2012 and May 2018 at University Hospitals Leuven, fixed in PreservCyt® and processed by the Cellient tissue processor, were included in the study.

Results

n 86.3% of the cases, sufficient material was found for diagnosis. A diagnosis of acute inflammation was made in 20.2% of the cases. In 34.0% of the cases, the diagnosis was chronic active inflammation; in 26.5%, low-grade inflammation; and in 5.6%, a malignant process.

Conclusion

Our standardized protocol can be used to diagnose endophthalmitis, lymphoma, granulomatous disease, inactive and storage disease, and metastatic infiltration. Cellient analysis of vitreous specimens had a diagnostic yield of 86.3% in unsolved uveitis cases.

KEYWORDS:

• Uveitis
• vitreous biopsies
• Cellient
• cell block
• automated system

Financial Support

DRT is supported by C1-internal funds from KU Leuven (C14-17-107), IWT (135043) and FWO (G0F8516N).

RVG has performed consulting tasks for Thea Pharma

BW has received expert fees from Merck, MSD, Astra-Zeneca, Roche and Pfizer.

Disclosure Statement

DRT received an honorary speaker or travel reimbursement from Novartis Pharma AG (Switzerland), GE Healthcare (UK) and UCB (Belgium) and collaborated with Novartis Pharma AG (Switzerland), Probiodrug (Germany), GE-Healthcare (UK), and Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies (Belgium).

JVC is a consultant for or received travel reimbursement from AbbVie, Allergan, Bayer, DORC, MSD, Novartis, Santen and Zeiss and received a research grant from Novartis.

RVG is a consultant for Thea Pharma.

No conflicting relationship exists for the other authors.