Bronchoscopic diagnosis of malignancy in the lower airway. A cytologic review.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the significance of a "suspicious" cytology report, to evaluate diagnostic accuracy for these specimens in the laboratory and to review the correlation of tumor subclassification in cytology versus histology.


METHODS
Retrospective review and comparison of 269 bronchoscopic cytology and histology specimens from a six-year period, 1984-1990. The relative and combined sensitivities of the sampling methods were studied.


RESULTS
There were 17 suspicious cytologic diagnoses during this period. One of 17 was a false suspicious diagnosis, representing 0.03% of all reports on submitted samples. There were no false positive cytologic diagnoses. The majority (94%) of patients with a suspicious cytologic report had a final diagnosis of malignancy. Carcinoma was diagnosed in 244 of the 269 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Combined bronchoscopic cytology and biopsy was more sensitive (92%) than biopsy alone (82%) in making the initial diagnosis.
D001706:Biopsy; D001984:Bronchial Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D018893:Bronchoalveolar Lavage; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D003581:Cytodiagnosis; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*