Ovarian Cytology is a very difficult task due to several variations in the lesions produced in the Ovaries. It needs a Herculean effort to learn Ovarian Cytology to give a reasonably correct diagnosis. The best thing would be to create a reperoire of Cytology slides from excised specimens and learn before jumping into fire

Thanks Raghuveer Vasudevarao

The question is very general. If it is about low cellularity only the answer would depend on the specimen type and material collection / processing procedure.

Thanks Alexander Shtabsky

Overall usual outcome is a low level screening process. It is a bit like trying to determine adequacy in thyroid aspirates that are low cellular it’s. abundant colloid in background can help but it is very necessary to correlate with clinical findings. Volume of specimen main outcome is only to exclude presence of malignancy in the specimen. Look for suspicious background eg necrosis or hemorrhagicDegeration. Obviously if no clinical information it is very necessary to say that the specimen may not be representative. Correlation with all clinical findings. In most cases it can be good as most benign specimens will have low epithelial cellariTy if there are no other suspicious features clinically or pathologically.

I still feel as and when Ovarian lesions are excised, one can prepare a set of good well fixed slides for study and learning from classical lesions.

Good number of cases with both cytology and histopathology of ovarian tumours should be studied in detail and shared. This will improve the accuracy of cytology reporting.

As already said, Cytology of Ovarian lesions is difficult to comprehend. We must prepare fresh slides from freshly excised Ovarian lesions and study those slides again and again and prepare our brains to face the challenge. Good clinical History and seeing the prepared slides makes us better Cytologists.

Thanks Raghuveer Vasudevarao .

Thank you Sweta. I was once upon a time President of Indian Academy of Cytologists. I passed MD Pathology from JIPMER in 1979. Since then it has been a struggle and challenge to see Ovarian Cytology and give reports

That's good sir. Raghuveer Vasudevarao . I'll make touch imprint cytology slides for all ovary specimens henceforth. It'll be a nice collection and comparison.

Infact I learnt FNAC interpretation of most of the diseases by touch imprint cytology.. That,s one of the best ways to learn.

Yes Sir

Thank you Sweta. All the best for you.

I would like to add a consideration in this regard: when working with ovarian FNAs should take in a mind differences between them and imprints (cellularities and cell composition). Other specimen types in ovarian tumors (ascitic fluids and intraoperative peritoneal washing) are also significantly different from FNA but if I understand correctly it was not a matter of question.

This is true of Cytology from any organ. These days because of Guided FNAC we dont have dearth of material

Attaching microphotographs of USG FNA smears from pelvic mass in a 45 yrs F. CA 125 elevated.

Congratulations Sweta. The smears appear very good.

Yes Sir, it was a cellular smear.

These many clusters are seldom seen in Ovarian cytology.

Very true. This many clusters are not seen in a benign ovarian cyst

This is a case of Papillary Cystadenocarcinoma, Ovary.