CYTOLOGY OF HUMAN PERITONEAL FLUID

Abstract

A series of 19 human peritoneal fluids obtained by aspiration at laparoscopy and cul-de-sac punctures were analyzed for their cellular content. Four types of cells were differentiated, i.e., macrophages, mesothelial cells, lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocytes. The macrophages and mesothelial cells represented the 2 major types of cells, each group constituting about 36% of the population, while the lymphocytes and polymorphonuclears represented 18 and 7% of the population, respectively. Macrophages were identified by their capacity to engulf alcohol-killed Staphylococcus albus. It appears that by this method of macrophage identification, a more accurate representation of the cellular content of peritoneal fluid can be obtained.