Role of flow cytometry immunophenotyping in the diagnosis of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To explore the contribution of flow cytometry immunophenotyping (FCI) in detecting leptomeningeal disease in patients with solid tumors.

Experimental design

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 78 patients who received a diagnosis of epithelial-cell solid tumors and had clinical data suggestive of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LC) were studied. A novel FCI protocol was used to identify cells expressing the epithelial cell antigen EpCAM and their DNA content. Accompanying inflammatory cells were also described. FCI results (positive or negative for malignancy) were compared with those from CSF cytology and with the diagnosis established by the clinicians: patients with LC (n = 49), without LC (n = 26), and undetermined (n = 3).

Results

FCI described a wide r

SUBMITTER: Subira D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3245993 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature