title: Epithelial repair versus carcinoma in esophageal brush cytology.
abstract: The distinction between repair atypia and carcinoma in esophageal brushings is often difficult. To establish criteria for making this distinction, the cytologic smears from 121 consecutive esophageal brushings and the companion biopsies were reviewed. The most reliable criteria for malignancy included sharply angulated nuclear rims, a high nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio, and coarsely granular chromatin. Nuclei bearing these features were not numerous and had to be carefully sought. Nuclear pleomorphism was a more consistent feature, but it showed considerable overlap with epithelial repair. Cytologic features of multiple nucleoli, macronucleoli, and loss of polarity were common to both repair and carcinoma. Adherence to the criteria established in this study permits the distinction between repair atypia and carcinoma in almost all cases; however, there are lesions of the esophagus with such overlap between the features of repair and carcinoma that it may not be possible to reach a definitive diagnosis. Specific examples, with illustrations, are discussed as diagnostic guides.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Maryland Hospital, Baltimore 21201.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hoover
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Berman
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology; D002466:Cell Nucleolus / Q000473:pathology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology; D002843:Chromatin / Q000473:pathology; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D004935:Esophageal Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin