Pathologic findings of transthoracic needle aspiration in the diagnosis of localized pulmonary lesions

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Abstract
The morphologic findings of transthoracic needle aspirations from 239 patients performed between 1968 and 1980 were reviewed. The cytologic diagnoses were unsatisfactory in nine, benign in 69, suspicious in 21, and malignant in 140 cases; they were verified by histologic evidence in one half of the cases and by clinical data in another third. There were 12 false‐negative cases and one false‐positive. Of the malignant cases, 106 were primary and 33 metastatic tumors. The following were observed: (1) Cellularity is a useful criterion of malignancy; (2) Cell blocks, prepared in 70 cases, were helpful in tumor typing; (3) Primary lung cancers were accurately typed in 89% of cases and oat cell carcinoma was differentiated from the other types of carcinoma; (4) Metastatic lesions could often be separated from primary carcinomas by comparison with previous histologic slides; and (5) Metastatic colonic carcinoma may be distinguished from primary adenocarcinoma by the presence of well‐formed glands with elongated nuclei, a clear apical space, and a prominent brush border.