RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Diagnostic utility of cell block method combined with conventional smear cytology in the diagnosis of exudative pleural effusions accompanying lung cancer
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP P2929
VO 42
IS Suppl 57
A1 Deniz Koksal
A1 Funda Demirag
A1 Hulya Bayiz
A1 Adem Koyuncu
A1 Neslihan Mutluay
A1 Bahadir Berktas
A1 Mine Berkoglu
YR 2013
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/P2929.abstract
AB Aim: Thoracenthesis is the first investigation to be done in a lung cancer patient with pleural effusion. We routinely use conventional smear studies (CSS) for diagnosis. We aimed to investigate the diagnostic utility of cell block (CB) method combined with CSS in the first thoracentesis.Method: Forty lung cancer patients with exudative pleural effusions were included in this study. 10 ml of fresh pleural fluid sample was received from all patients in the initial evaluation. Pleural fluid sample was divided into two equal parts. One part was subjected to CSS and the other to CB method. Conventional smears were stained with Giemsa stain and Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE). CB sections were stained with HE and mucicarmine. CSS findings were grouped as “benign cytology” or “malignant cytology”. The “suspicion of malignancy” was grouped in the “benign cytology” group. The CB sections were evaluated for the presence of single tumor cell, acinary, papillary pattern, solid islands and staining with mucicarmine.Results: There were 20 patients each in benign and malignant CSS group. In benign CSS group, adding CB method to CSS provided a diagnosis of malignancy in 4 more patients and the diagnosis of malignant effusion was increased by a ratio of (4/40) 10%. In malignant CSS group, adding CB technique provided the subtyping of lung cancer as adenocarcinoma in 7 patients (7/20, 35%).Conclusion: Our study confirms the diagnostic utility of CB method combined with CSS. Therefore we recommend routine performing CB method combined with CSS in the first thoracentesis in a lung cancer patient with pleural effusion.