The objective of this study was to investigate the role of telecytology as a tool with increased quality standards in the optimal evaluation of thyroid fine-needle aspiration specimens prepared by the ThinPrep(R) technique (Cytyc Co., Boxborough, MA). The study was performed on 252 adequate specimens of 157 patients referred to the Cytopathology Department of University Hospital "Attikon" for preoperative evaluation of thyroid nodules. In all cases, surgical excision followed the initial cytological diagnosis. Three diagnostic categories of cytological reports were used. All cases were confirmed by histological diagnosis of surgical specimens. Ten characteristic images from each case were transferred via file transfer protocol to password-protected accounts for remote review by four independent cytopathologists. In addition to diagnosis, reviewers also commented on overall digital image quality. Contributor's and reviewer's diagnoses were collected, recorded and statistically evaluated. No significant difference in diagnostic accuracy could be detected between the diagnoses proffered on the basis of digitized images and conventional slides. Telecytology is a prompt and valid method for quality assessment and proficiency testing and can be integrated into daily workflow. The use of liquid-based cytology ensures that additional material is preserved for ancillary studies (if necessary) and that a sufficient number of replicate microscope slides can be produced. The use of telecytology in the daily workflow will ensure the reproducibility of cytological diagnoses and make feasible the production of digital educational material. Besides diagnostic accuracy, the implementation of a diagnostic telecytology system requires consideration of numerous financial, legal, professional, and ethical issues.
NiO thin films were grown by pulsed laser deposition on (100)Si substrates at 200 °C temperature. The effect of the O2 pressure during the deposition process on the morphological, electrical and sensing properties of the films has been investigated. AFM images showed that the surface morphology of NiO films can be modified by the oxygen pressure during deposition. Electrical measurements showed that the well‐known native p‐type conductivity exhibits a conversion from p‐type to n‐type when the O2 pressure is reduced. Resistance responses of NiO‐thin films towards hydrogen (H2) flow in air ambient have been measured. NiO thin film p–n homojuctions were then fabricated to investigate the electrical properties of such structures. The p–n homojunctions exhibited the distinct rectifying current–voltage (I –V) characteristics. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
The role of liquid-based cytology in the investigation of thyroid lesionsObjective: This study investigates the role of liquid-based cytology by ThinPrep Ò technique in the detection of thyroid lesions. Methods: In all, 252 specimens from 157 patients for pre-operative evaluation of thyroid nodules, prepared by the ThinPrep Ò , were examined. In all cases thyroidectomy followed the initial cytological evaluation. All cytological diagnoses were correlated to the histological ones.Results: According to our findings, a sensitivity of 87.80%, a specificity of 99.50%, a positive predictive value of 97.30%, a negative predictive value of 97.56% and an overall accuracy of 97.52% were observed in fine needle aspiration cytology in correlation to the histological diagnosis after thyroidectomy. Conclusions: ThinPrepÒ technique is a valid method for the pre-operative cytological diagnosis of thyroid nodules, offering the possibility of ancillary techniques, such as immunocytochemical and molecular methods and can, therefore, be potentially complementary to histological evaluation for further investigation of follicular lesions.
The objective of this study is to evaluate the reproducibility and usefulness of telecytology diagnoses proffered on the basis of digitized images from fine-needle aspiration specimens prepared by means of liquid-based cytology. Representative digital cytological images from a total of 270 thyroid fine-needle aspiration specimens were transferred via file transfer protocol to specific password-protected accounts and were remotely reviewed by five independent board-certified cytopathologists (initial round). Their reports were recorded and classified. After 6 and 12 months, the same representative digital images were transferred in random order to the same cytopathologists and were reviewed again (first and second review rounds). The cytopathologists' first and second round diagnoses were recorded and compared with their initial ones. Statistical evaluation of cytological diagnoses detected no significant difference in diagnostic accuracy among initial and review diagnoses. The overall interobserver agreement was almost perfect with κ values of 0.869-0.939, whereas intraobserver agreement ranged from almost perfect to perfect with κ values of 0.967-1 in all diagnostic rounds. Digitized cytological images transmission and remote evaluation allows reproducible diagnosis of thyroid gland lesions. Diagnoses made by using static telecytology systems can be equally reliable to those made by using conventional microscopy, provided that representative images are utilized and that the standard cytological diagnostic criteria are applied.
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