Screening Flow Cytometry:
Each specimen that is received by the flow cytometry laboratory is accompanied by a requisition which indicates why the test is being performed.
The most common indications for flow cytometry are:
- Suspicion of a lymphoproliferative neoplasm
- Suspicion of acute leukemia
The indication is usually based on the clinical symptoms and the morphologic findings seen on a slide from that specimen.
In situations in which the morphology is ambiguous or cannot be assessed prior to flow cytometry analysis, a screening tube is helpful to try and capture the possible abnormal cell populations that might be present.
The types of specimens that could be analyzed include:
- Peripheral Blood
- Bone Marrow
- Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)
- Other fluids (pleural, ascites, bronchoalveolar lavage etc)
- Lymph node (disaggregated)
- Other tissues (disaggregated tumors)
Next page: Which antibodies are included in a screening tube?