Contribution of exfoliative cytology to the diagnosis of laryngeal lesions.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the diagnostic accuracy and reliability of exfoliative laryngeal cytology.


METHODS
Over three years (1996-1999) cytologic smears were obtained from clinically suspicious laryngeal lesions during laryngoscopy in a total of 31 selected patients (28 males and 3 females with an age range from 28-90 years). The cytologic diagnoses were analyzed and correlated with the histologic and final clinical diagnoses in 17 and 14 cases, respectively. Cytologic identification of the exact histologic type of the lesion was evaluated in 17 patients from whom both cytologic smears and biopsy material were obtained.


RESULTS
The overall specificity was 100%, with no false positive diagnoses. The overall sensitivity was 93.3%, with one false negative cytologic diagnosis, in a case of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Cytohistologic correlation showed complete agreement between cytologic and histologic diagnoses in five of six benign lesions, in four cases of dysplasia and in six cases of squamous cell carcinoma. The overall diagnostic accuracy of cytology was 96.7%


CONCLUSIONS
Exfoliative cytology by the smear technique is a reliable and accurate method in clinically suspected laryngeal lesions. Moreover, exfoliative cytology may be applied as the only alternative diagnostic method, especially in elderly patients with coexistent cardiorespiratory problems, when biopsy is not advisable or indicated.
Malamou-Mitsi
V D
VD
Departments of Cytopathology and Otorhinolaryngology, University of Ioannina Medical School, Ioannina, Greece.
Assimakopoulos
D A
DA
Goussia
A
A
Pappa
L
L
Skevas
A T
AT
Agnantis
N J
NJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003581:Cytodiagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity