Touch imprint cytology and its correlation with histomorphologic findings in lymphadenopathies

Background: As one of the great philosopher has rightly said "Old is gold", Touch imprint cytology is older technique than any other technique which gives a quick and promising results, also it is less expensive, technically easy and does not require additional infrastructure like frozen section. Aim: To evaluate role and efficacy of imprint cytology in early diagnosis of various lymphadenopathies, to correlate the imprint cytology findings with histomorphological diagnosis and to establish suitability of the procedure. Materials and Methods: Study comprised of 50 prospective cases of lymphadenopathy undergoing excision in minor and major operation theatres. Touch imprints were prepared, stained with different stains and findings were noted. These lymph nodes were then subjected for histopathological analysis to create a correlation between them. Results: The commonest age group came out to be 4th and 5th decade with a female preponderance. The overall accuracy rate of touch imprint cytology technique as compared to histomorphologic findings came out to be 98%, sensitivity 90.91% and specificity 100%. Conclusion: Thus, Touch imprint cytology should be as a protocol for every case of lymphadenopathy undergoing excision as it is proved to be extremely effective as a diagnostic tool, as well as safe, inexpensive and expeditious.