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X : Malignant cells in serous effusions are most often found in patients with primary ovarian or breast carcinomas; the prognosis is generally poor. Identifying malignant cells in effusions may be difficult, as mesothelial cells often mimic carcinoma cells. The present data are based on retrieval from the medical databases Medline and Cancer-line. Several ancillary methods can aid in the morphological diagnosis of effusion specimens. These consist of histochemistry, immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry, electron microscopy and molecular biology techniques. Immunocytochemistry is the most widely used technique to date and utilizes both epithelial and mesothelial markers. Electron microscopy is considered to be the gold standard in serous effusion diagnostics, but is of limited use as it is unavailable in many laboratories. The use of molecular techniques may offer an additional possibility of enhancing the diagnostic accuracy and may provide information regarding the origin of the primary tumour. Accurate diagnosis of serous effusion mandates the use of ancillary methods such as immunocytochemistry and molecular techniques, and may aid the clinician in patient management.

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