SIGNIFICANCE OF AGNOR STAINING IN DETERMINING MALIGNANT OR BENIGN PLEURAL EFFUSIONS

Objective: The evaluation of the argyrophilic nucleolar regions (AgNORs) correlation and malignancy in malignant effusions and benign. Design: Our research group was consisting of the peritoneal and pleural effusion samples which were obtained through the patients who were diagnosed from numerous malignant and benign diseases. We also studied the cytological smears through conventional eosin and hematoxylin including the AgNORs silver screening. Setting: Research sample was taken from the patients hospitalized in the Allied Hospital, Shifa International Hospital, Aziz Fatima Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital, Civil Hospital Faisalabad. Subjects: A total of 100 cases of peritoneal or pleural effusions were enrolled in the research sample. Fifty cases in the sample were positive in the malignant cells and remaining fifty were having reactive mesothelial cells. Major outcome results were AgNOR count assessment as a malignancy diagnostic marker. Results: The count of the AgNOR was helpful for the differentiation of the malignant cells from benign. Count of the AgNOR in the malignant cells was observed as (10.62 ± 3.36) & (3.04 ± 0.64) in the reactive mesothelial cells. Conclusion: We observed that the AgNOR count was rapid, easily reproducible technique for the differentiation of the malignant cells and reactive mesothelial cells. Keywords: Cytology; AgNOR count and Effusions.