ROLE OF ALPHA- FETOPROTEIN IMMUNOSTAINING OF FINE NEEDLE LIVER ASPIRATES IN AIDING CYTOLOGIC DIAGNOSIS

Abstract

. The aim of this work was to study cytologiC criteria of liver focal lesion fine-needle aspirates for detection of malignancy, and to investigate the practical value of alpha-fetoprotein in1munocytochemistry •in . the differential • diagnosis. of primary malignant focal lesions from secondary ones..

This work was conducted on 40 cases of focal liver lesions: 23 • cases of hepatocellular carcinoma, I case of hepatoblastoma, I case of non Hodgkin's lymphoma, II cases ofrnetastatic adenocarcinoma, I case oJ metastatic squamous cell carcinoma, I case of metastatic malignant melanoma, I case of metastatic spindle cell sarcoma and I case of regenerative cirrhotic nodule. The cases were submitted as fine-needle aspirates from the radiodiagnosis department to the cytopathology unit, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University in the period between March and September 1998. The aspirates were stained with Papanicolaou stain. Immunocytochemical localization of alpha-fetoprotein was conducted.

The mean age for HCC was 54.8 years. There was male predominance in both groups of primary and secondary liver neoplasms. There was predominance of liver cirrhosis among the studied case of I ICC (73.9%). Solitary focal liver lesion was the main radiological pattern of presentation in hepatocellular carcinoma cases (73.9%).