title: Intrasurgical pancreas cytology.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A differential therapy of chronic pancreatitis and carcinoma calls for evaluation of the validity of findings. Presurgical suspicion of a carcinoma often requires intrasurgical diagnostics such as excisional biopsies, punch biopsies, and fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) for confirmation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate FNAC as an intraoperative diagnostic method of very high probability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Intrasurgical fine-needle aspiration biopsy and cytologic assessment were carried out in 474 patients. The indications for operative therapy and FNAC were suspicion of pancreatic tumor, chronic pancreatitis even without suspicion of tumor, and pathologic alterations found during other surgeries in the upper abdomen.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The level of sensitivity was 93.1%, specificity was 99.1%, predictive value of positive results was 99.2% and of negative results was 92.1%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FNAC is a suitable method for intrasurgical confirmation of pancreatic carcinoma. It can be performed safely, effectively, and rapidly.
authors.affiliation: Wald-Klinikum gGmbh, Chirurgisches Zentrum, Departement für Allgemeine, Viszerale und Kinderchirurgie, Strasse des Friedens 122, D-07548 Gera, Germany.
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schramm
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Urban
authors.forename: Falk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: Gertje
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Penzlin
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bosseckert
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000592:standards*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity