Diagnostic impact of safety protocols for processing peritoneal washing specimens during the global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019: A comparative study from 195 cytological samples.

BACKGROUND: The global pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 represents a major concern for health services worldwide, and has also induced major changes in cytopathology practice. AIM: We aimed to verify the diagnostic performance of cytological evaluation under a new safety protocol during the pandemic compared to the standard pre-pandemic procedure. We also aimed to assess how cytological diagnoses and sampling were impacted during the pandemic period compared to the pandemic-free period in 2019. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cytological samples of peritoneal washings taken during the first 10 months of the pandemic emergency in Italy (March 11, 2020 to January 11, 2021) were compared to samples from the preceding 10-month time frame (May 11, 2019 to March 10, 2020). RESULTS: One hundred ninety-five specimens were analysed in the present study. We observed no noticeable differences in cytological diagnoses during the pandemic period compared to the pre-pandemic period. The case numbers by diagnostic category for the pre-pandemic vs pandemic periods, respectively, were as follows: non-diagnostic, 0 vs 0 cases; negative for malignancy, 86 vs 52 cases; atypia of uncertain significance, 7 vs 1 cases; suspicious for malignancy, 0 vs 2 cases; malignant, 42 vs 4 cases. CONCLUSION: While a consistent reduction in the number of cytological examinations has been observed during the COVID-19 period, our institutional safety protocol for processing cytological samples did not affect the diagnostic reliability of peritoneal washing cytology.

Cytologic and histologic samples from patients infected by the novel coronavirus 2019 SARS-CoV-2: An Italian institutional experience focusing on biosafety procedures.

The 2019 coronavirus pandemic, which started in Wuhan, China, spread around the globe with dramatic and lethal effects. From the initial Chinese epicenter, the European diaspora taxed the resources of several countries and especially those of Italy, which was forced into a complete social and economic shutdown. Infection by droplets contaminating hands and surfaces represents the main vehicle of diffusion of the virus. The common and strong efforts to contain the pandemic have relevant effects on the management of samples from histopathology laboratories. The current commentary reports and focuses on the protocols and guidelines in use at a large tertiary Italian hospital that accordingly are proposed for adoption in Italian laboratories as a potential model for national guidelines for the coronavirus emergency.