title: Cytologic and DNA-cytometric very early diagnosis of oral cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of exfoliative cytology (EC) and DNA-image cytometry applied to suspicious oral lesions compared with synchronous histology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Brush- and scalpel biopsies were obtained from 98 patients with suspicious oral lesions. In cases, in which EC revealed malignant or suspicious cells, nuclear DNA-contents were measured using a TV image analysis system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among 98 oral lesions both cytological and histological diagnosis showed no sign of malignancy or dysplasia in 75. In 23 cases cytology yielded tumor cell-positive (15), suspicious (four) or doubtful (four) results. DNA-cytometry showed aneuploidy in 19 of these. The comparison between cytological diagnosis combined with DNA-cytometry and biopsy-histology resulted in a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 97.4%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, cytology with DNA-cytometry is a highly sensitive, specific and non-invasive method for the early diagnosis of oral epithelial neoplasia, showing excellent compliance among patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery, Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf, Germany. dimitra.m@tiscali.de
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maraki
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boecking
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000782:Aneuploidy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003581:Cytodiagnosis; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004919:Erythroplasia / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D019044:Image Cytometry / Q000379:methods; D007972:Leukoplakia, Oral / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm