Objective 10x:
Scanning the whole slide for general information!
=> Do I have a diagnostic slide?
· Background: colour (protein content), presence of blood, debris (nuclear streaming, …), other material (fat,…)
· Stain property (eosinophil & basophil
· Searching cell material:
o spread of cells => Can I find monolayer areas?
o cellularity and cell preservation => Do I find enough, intact cells?
· Looking for bigger parts (Platelet aggregats, microfilaria larvae in a skin nodule, extracellular pigment, ect.)
Objective 40x
Get the main information about cell type and dignity!
o How many cell types are on the slide?
o What is the main cell population?
§ Neutrophils, Monocytes, Lymphocytes, Eosinophiles
=> inflammation
§ Other cells:
· cell type and shape: round, epithelial, spindle, naked nuclei, undifferentiated => tumor
§ Cell arrangements:
· single cells or groups, palisade, acinar, row, ect.) and cohesiveness
§ Cell borders:
· well defined, indistinct ect.
o Criteria of malignancy (COM):
§ General and Nuclear: Anisocytosis, Anisokaryosis, Macrocytosis, Macrokaryosis, ect.
Objective 100x oil
Looking for more small details and nuclear/nucleolar COM!
• cytoplasm
• Nuclei, chromatin pattern
• Nucleoli
• Inclusion bodies
• Infectious agents......
Always keep in mind:
- location of sampling => What tissue can I expect?
- never try to interpret naked nuclei => Looking for intact cells with cytoplasma!
GOOD LUCK!