Diagnosis of Senile Amyloidosis by Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy and Cell Block from Abdominal Fat Pad

Abstract

Background:  Amyloidosis is menacingly increasing medical problem in aging population across globe. Its clinical presentation is varied. Its laboratory diagnosis often requires biopsy material. The fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC, FNAB) offers dependable diagnostic alternative to cumbersome biopsy. Present protocol describes the FNAC of abdominal pad of fat as surrogate site for diagnosis of senile systemic amyloidosis avoiding biopsy other known sites.  Aim: To study diagnostic accuracy of subcutaneous abdominal fat tissue fine needle aspiration cytology/biopsy for detecting systemic (senile) amyloidosis and its utility in clinical practice. Objectives: To diagnose systemic amyloidosis (senile) by fine needle aspiration cytology/biopsy of abdominal fat pad on crush smears of aspirates and cell blocks. To correlate the diagnosis of deposits of amyloid with the clinical manifestations in specific and non specific clinical manifestations of amyloidosis. To know the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnosis of amyloid deposition on fine needle aspiration cytology/biopsy of abdominal fat pad in comparison to the results of cell block preparations. Methodology: A prospective study carried out to compare results of FNAC of abdominal pad of fat with paraffin embedded cell block in diagnosis of amyloidosis in suspected cases of cases of senile systemic amyloidosis. Technical adopted methods to be used are regular tissue stains, congo red stain and polarized microscopy.  Expected Results: It is expected that results of study will establish FNAC of abdominal pad of fat as dependable office diagnostic procedure that would avoid complicated biopsy procedures of gastrointestinal tissue, skin, bone marrow and others for senile systemic amyloidosis.