Serous fluids are a common but important specimen type in a cytopathology laboratory. There is as yet no agreed standardized terminology to allow uniformity in reporting on these specimens. Given that serous fluids are a rich source of cytopathological as well as molecular information on a range of benign and often advanced malignant conditions, a unified approach to handling and reporting these specimens covering the pre-analytical, analytical and postanalytical stages seems timely. Representatives of the international cytology community have come together once again to develop an algorithmic diagnostic and management approach to the reporting of these samples.