ORIGINAL ARTICLE Touch imprint (TI) cytology of needle core biopsies (NCB) in pathology laboratories: A practice survey of participants in the College of American Pathologists (CAP) Non Gynecologic Cytopathology (NGC) Education Program Vijayalakshmi Padmanabhan MBBS, MD, MPH | Güliz A. Barkan MD | Laura Tabatabai MD | Rhona Souers MS | Ritu Nayar MD | Barbara A. Crothers DO Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Ben Taub General Hospital, Houston, Texas Correspondence Vijayalakshmi Padmanabhan, Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Ben Taub General Hospital, Houston, TX 77030. Emails: vpadmana@bcm.edu; vijupadmanabhan@gmail.com Background: Intra-procedural assessment of touch imprint (TI) cytology from needle core biop- sies (NCB) is used to ensure sample adequacy and to provide immediate diagnosis in various set- tings. We aimed to survey laboratories for current practices on the use of cytology with NCB. Methods: A voluntary supplemental questionnaire including questions on demographics, per- sonnel involved, sites, accessioning, and reporting was sent with the College of American Pathologists (CAP) 2015 Non gynecologic Cytopathology Education Program to survey practices of cytologic assessment of NCB. Results: Among 844 respondents, 403 (48%) performed cytologic assessment of NCB. Com- mon body sites included lung (94%; 368/392), liver (87%; 340/ 392), and lymph nodes/ spleen (77%; 303/392). Most of the time, a pathologist was present on-site 75% (295/393) for adequacy assessment which was usually verbally reported to the provider performing the procedure. Specimens were prepared by cytotechnologists (50%; 193 of 388) or pathol- ogists (45%; 176 of 388) by touching the core to the slide (50%; 196 of 390) and rolling the core on the slide (45%; 177/390). Among the respondents, 19% said that cytotechnologists independently performed immediate assessment of TI of NCB. Most laboratories (69%; 264/384) evaluated air-dried slides with a modified Giemsa stain and rendered one TI/NCB combined report (87%, 334/385). Conclusions: This is the first survey performed specifically to determine the practice of ade- quacy assessment of TI of NCB. Cytotechnologists are generally not performing adequacy assessment of TI without pathologist oversight. A single report is usually issued which includes the adequacy assessment as a part of the final report. KEYWORDS adequacy assessment, cytology, needle core biopsies, practice patterns, touch imprint 1 | INTRODUCTION Fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology 1 is used extensively in routine practice but less is known about the general practice patterns of usage of touch imprints (TI) of needle core biopsies (NCB). Intra-procedural assessment of TI cytology from NCB is often requested to ensure sample adequacy, provide a preliminary diagnosis, and/or to triage the specimen for ancillary studies. Gupta and Wang 2 found an increase in NCB from visceral organs from 5.5% to 31% over 10 y in their institu- tion. In the era of personalised medicine, it is becoming paramount to collect samples that will have adequate material for a complete diag- nosis, which often relies on immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, or molecular studies. This study was designed to broadly survey labo- ratories on their use of TI cytology of NCB. Received: 30 January 2018 Revised: 29 May 2018 Accepted: 18 June 2018 DOI: 10.1002/dc.24023 Diagnostic Cytopathology. 2018;1–7. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/dc © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 1