VALUE OF SPUTUM CYTOLOGY IN THE DIAGNOSIS AND TYPING OF BRONCHOGENIC CARCINOMAS, EXCLUDING ADENOCARCINOMAS

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 26  (5) , 645-648
Abstract
In 320 selected cases with a cytologic diagnosis of bronchogenic carcinoma, the cytologic typing of the tumor was correlated with histology to determine the rate of correct diagnoses. Although 205 cases (64.1%) showed a correct correlation using consecutive sputum cytology, in 115 inconclusive cases (35.9%) it was necessary to study further cytologic material after bronchoscopy in order to achieve a 90.3% overall correlation. Although an exact cytohistologic correlation was possible in all cases of epidermoid carcinomas and 92.1% of small-cell carcinomas, only 55.3% of undifferentiated carcinomas could be correctly correlated. In 44.7% of the latter type, subsequent tissue examination showed a different type of primary bronchogenic carcinoma; malignant cells were not missed cytologically in any of these cases. These results suggest that initially, sputum cytology should be employed in all cases, whereas, further cytologic examination of material after bronchoscopy is essential in inconclusive cases to correctly diagnose and type bronchogenic carcinomas in a higher precentage of cases.