No abstract

With improved radiologic techniques fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) is becoming a rapid, effective diagnostic method in evaluating a wide range of liver masses. Review of six hundred two radiologically guided liver aspirates performed over a ten‐year period forms the basis of this report. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2000;23:326–328. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Routine histologic examination of axillary lymph nodes, including sentinel lymph nodes, in cases of breast carcinoma significantly underestimates lymph node metastases. This deficiency may be overcome by SS of the entire lymph nodes and staining with a specific monoclonal antibody. The percentage of patients found to have colonies of cells that were missed by routine sectioning corresponds closely to the percentage of "lymph node negative" patients who would be expected to relapse. The true clinical significance of these occult metastases will be determined by long term follow-up. [See editorial on pages 905-7, this issue.]