OAT-CELL BRONCHIAL-CARCINOMA IDENTIFICATION OF CELLS IN PLEURAL FLUID

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  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 20  (6) , 525-529
Abstract
An analysis is made of the accuracy of diagnosing oat cell (small cell) carcinoma of the lung from the cytology of pleural fluid. All material over a 22 yr period was reviewed. Air-dried smears were used, stained with May-Gruenwald-Giemsa. Of 91 cases in which oat cells were specified in the written report, 90 were proved histologically to have oat cell or anaplastic bronchial carcinoma, or else had clinical findings consistent with that diagnosis, and were registered as having bronchial carcinoma at death. There was 1 false positive, and no false suspicious reports. Cytologic diagnosis of this tumor type was no less reliable than would be expected from a histologist examining a surgical biopsy of infiltrated tissue. Of 49 patients examined in this laboratory, histologically proven to have oat cell carcinoma, and with pleural effusions, 21 showed no malignant cells (43% false negative). Diagnostic features and causes of error are discussed, as well as the advantage of air-dried smears over the standard Papanicolaou method for the detection of this cell type.

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