Comparative studies on cytological and histological evaluations of disseminating peritoneal metastasis in gastric cancer

Abstract
Macroscopic disseminating peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer (P) was investigated in relation to its compatibility with microscopic findings (p) in 52 (P1 19, P2 21, P3 12) cases among 240 gastrectomized cases by cytological, histological, clinical and postmortem findings. In total, numbers of the evaluations for yes (P is p), probable (P is probably p), possible (P is possibly p), probably not (P is probably not p) and no (P is not p) were 28 (53.8%), 8 (15.4%), 14 (26.9%), 2 (3.8%) and 0, respectively. These results indicate that macroscopic disseminating peritoneal metastasis is compatible with microscopic findings, in most cases. Although histology is the most contributory factor for the evaluation of peritoneal dissemination, cytology of lavaged saline from the Douglas pouch also is important.