WITH COREWELL HEALTH, WE CAN!

When it comes to health, we can achieve something better. From discovering new ways to treat troubling conditions to prevention of diseases before they start, we believe progress should never stop.

Lab Test

Back Print Page

Breast Nipple Secretion

Nipple smear, Nipple discharge, CYTOLOGY, MEDICAL NONGYN

Test Codes

EPIC: LAB6797

Department

Cytology

Instructions

The Cytology Laboratory can provide slides, slide carriers, and spray fixative for specimen collection:

  • Royal Oak:  248-898-9035
  • Farmington Hills:  947-521-8249
  • Troy:  248-964-9050
  • Grosse Pointe:  313-473-1801
  • Dearborn:  313-436-2369
  • Taylor:  313-295-5365
  • Trenton:  734-671-3868
  • Wayne:  734-467-4275
  • Outreach:  800-511-0488 

Specimen Collection Criteria

Collect: Nipple secretion on a glass slide.

  • Label a slide with two patient-specific identifiers (such as patient name and date of birth) using a lead pencil on the frosted end of the slide prior to collecting the specimen. Please indicate specimen laterality (“R” or “L”).
  • Between the thumb and forefinger, gently press the nipple and place any secretion directly onto the glass slide. Immediately spray fix the secretion. Air dry the slide before placing the glass slide into the slide carrier.
  • Label the slide carrier with EPIC specimen labels with the patient's full name, date of birth, hospital number, source of specimen, and date of test.
  • In house cytology specimens should be ordered in EPIC order entry. In the “additional orders” field input “CYTOLOGY, MEDICAL NON-GYN” and fill in all appropriate fields. Label specimen container and requisition with EPIC specimen labels.
  • All Cytology specimens must be accompanied by a requisition and must include the patient name, hospital and visit number, date of birth, date of specimen collection, pertinent patient history, physician name and source of specimen. Place an EPIC specimen label on the requisition. 

Physician Office/Draw Specimen Preparation

Maintain the slide at room temperature (20-26°C or 68-78.8°F) prior to transport to the Laboratory. Place slide in appropriate slide container for transport.

Preparation for Courier Transport

Transport: Slide container at room temperature (20-26°C or 68-78.8°F).

Rejection Criteria

  • Improper labeling of specimen slide, specimen slide container or requisition.
  • Specimen not accompanied by requisition.
  • Requisitions not accompanied by a specimen.
  • Improper collection of specimen (such as improper fixation).
  • Slide stuck to cardboard slide carrier due to being placed in carrier while wet.
  • Glass coverslip placed on top of specimen on slide and dried together 
  • Any specimen received without all the required information will result in a delay of processing until all information can be verified.

Inpatient Specimen Preparation

Farmington Hills

  • Deliver the specimen directly to the Cytology Laboratory (2nd floor, East) Monday – Friday, 7:00 am – 4:00 pm.
  • Specimens are also picked up throughout the day from the surgical floors and Endoscopy, Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 3:00 pm.
  • When the Cytology Laboratory is closed, specimens must be delivered to Laboratory Central Processing.

Grosse Pointe

  • Deliver the specimen directly to the Cytology Laboratory (first level) Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 4:00 pm.
  • Specimens are also picked up throughout the day from the surgical floors and Clinical Pathology Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 4:00 pm.
  • When the Cytology Laboratory is closed, specimens may be delivered to the Clinical Pathology Specimen Processing area.

Royal Oak

  • Deliver specimen directly to the Cytology Laboratory (north tower, lower level, west wing) Monday – Friday, 6:30 am – 4:30 pm.
  • Specimens are also picked up from the surgical floors, Endoscopy and Clinical Pathology Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 7:00 pm, Saturday, 7:00 am - 11:00 am, NT and Endoscopy ONLY.
  • When the laboratory is closed specimens may be delivered to the Surgical Pathology Laboratory (located on the lower level near the east tower elevators), Clinical Pathology specimen receiving (located in the Beaumont Laboratory Research Building), or STAT Lab.

Troy

  • All specimens must be delivered to the Specimen Reception department (tube station #201; phone number: 248-964-8030, or x48030)
  • Specimens are also routinely picked up throughout the day from the surgical floors and Endoscopy Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm.

Dearborn:

  • Deliver the specimen to the main lab drop off window and sign in. Open 24/7.
  • Deliver directly to Cytology:  Monday – Friday, 7:00 am – 4:30 pm 
  • Deliver directly to Histology lab:  Monday – Friday open 24 hours, Saturday 8:00 am – 12:00 pm, closed on Sunday.
  • Specimens are also picked up throughout the day from the surgical area and endoscopy:  Monday – Friday 6:00 am – 4:30 pm, Saturday 8:00 am – 12:00 pm.
  • When the Cytology lab is closed specimens must be delivered to the main lab window and signed in.

Taylor:

  • Deliver to histology 8:00 am – 2:00 pm. 
  • After hours:  Deliver the specimen to the main lab. Open 24/7.

Trenton:

  • Specimens are picked up from Emergency Dept., Interventional Radiology, and operating rooms from 8:00 am – 2:00 pm.
  • After hours deliver specimens to the main lab. Open 24/7.

Wayne:  

  • Specimens are picked up from Emergency Dept. and Interventional Radiology from 8:00 am – 2:00 pm.
  • After hours deliver specimen to the main lab. Open 24/7.

Storage

Specimen Stability for Testing:

Room Temperature (20-26°C or 68-78.8°F): Indefinite
Refrigerated (2-8°C or 36-46°F): Acceptable, but not recommended
Frozen (-20°C/-4°F or below): Unacceptable

Specimen Storage in Department Prior to Disposal:

Room Temperature (20-26°C or 68-78.8°F): 11 years

Laboratory

Dearborn Cytology Laboratory
Taylor and Wayne specimens are sent to Dearborn Cytology Laboratory for preparation, screening and issuing final results. 

Trenton specimens are sent to Dearborn Cytology Laboratory for preparation and screening.  Final results are issued by Trenton hospital.

Royal Oak Cytology Laboratory
Grosse Pointe and Farmington Hills specimens are sent to Royal Oak Cytology Laboratory for preparation and screening. Final results are issued by originating hospital.

Troy Cytology laboratory (some prepared and screened at Royal Oak Cytology).  

Performed

Monday – Friday, 7:00 am – 4:30 pm (Royal Oak).
Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 3:30 pm (Farmington Hills).
Monday – Friday, 7:00 am – 4:30 pm (Troy).
Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm (Grosse Pointe).
Monday – Friday, 7:00 am – 4:30 pm (Dearborn)
Monday – Friday, 7:00 am – 3:00 pm (Taylor)
Monday – Friday, 7:00 am – 3:00 pm (Trenton)
Monday – Friday, 7:00 am – 3:00 pm (Wayne) 

Most results are available within 24-36 hours of receipt in the Cytology Laboratory, if received Monday – Friday. The Cytology Laboratory is closed on weekends and holidays. Specimens received after 3:00 pm on Friday will be processed the following Monday and resulted on Tuesday Specimens received after 3:00 pm the day before a holiday will be processed the next working day and resulted out the following day. 

Test Methodology

Pap stained smear preparation.

CPT Codes

CPT: 88161.
LOINC: 33716-2. 

Contacts

Last Updated

3/23/2021

Microtainer® and Vacutainer® are registered trademarks of Becton, Dickinson and Company.
UroVysion® is a registered trademark of Abbott Laboratories. ThinPrep® is a registered trademark of Hologic, Incorporated.