Last update:
28-Jul-2000

Arch Hellen Med, 16(4), July-August 1999, 377-379

ORIGINAL PAPER

Bone marrow touch imprints for detection of epithelial tumor metastases

G. KJURKCHIEV, I. VALKOV
Department of Pathology, Medical University, Sofia, Bulgaria

OBJECTIVE A total of 284 paired bone marrow biopsies and touch imprints were reviewed in order to select 21 cases with proven metastases from malignant epithelial tumors and to estimate the role of bone core touch imprints in the initial, preliminary diagnosis of metastatic bone disease.
METHOD Eight Pappanheim stained touch imprints and eight H&E stained histological sections were prepared from every biopsy and reviewed by two pathologists independently.
RESULTS The tumor cells were identified according to universally accepted criteria for malignancy. There was no positive touch imprint for which the biopsy was negative for tumor cells nor positive biopsy for which the cytogram was negative.
CONCLUSIONS The method of examination of touch imprints from bone marrow trephine biopsies is rapid, reliable and sensitive. It can be used as a first step for detection of metastases from malignant epithelial neoplasms after careful examination of all cytograms.

Key words: Bone marrow, Metastatic tumor, Touch imprints.