Meanings of central slice in English

This central slice was used for our standard RT-PCR protocol.

The remaining 27 patients with positive RT-PCR results of the central slice showed negative histological findings.

Finally, all 25 patients with negative RT-PCR results in the central slice showed negative histological findings.

Parallel to the longitudinal axis, one central slice (approximately 2 mm in thickness) was cut manually.

In detail, seven of those 34 patients positive by standard RT-PCR of the central slice had positive histological findings.

In each of these seven patients, RT-PCR was positive both in the central slice as well as in the peripheral slices.

Additional RT-PCR of peripheral slices demonstrated positive findings in six additional patients (10%) who were initially negative by standard RT-PCR of the central slice.

Conclusions: Molecular analysis of peripheral slices yielded six additional patients (10%) positive by RT-PCR who were initially negative by standard RT-PCR of the central slice.