title: Significance of the presence of lymphocytes in the cytological analysis of transbronchial needle aspiration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the clinical relevance of the presence of lymphocytes in transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) samples from pathological mediastinal lymph nodes in patients with suspected lung cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective observational study evaluating the negative predictive value (NPV) of TBNA samples containing lymphocytes but not malignant cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 266 TBNA were performed in 252 patients with pathological lymph nodes. One hundred and fifteen TBNA samples had evidence of malignant cells (43%), and 94 (35%) samples were considered as inadequate (absence of adequate cytological material or exclusive presence of bronchial epithelial cells). Out of the 57 TBNA samples remaining (21%), 15 could not be confirmed; in 32, TBNA samples were confirmed with alternative diagnostic techniques and in 10, they were confirmed after clinical and radiological follow-up. The NPV of the 32 samples that were confirmed with alternative diagnostic techniques was 84% decreasing down to 76% when the 10 TBNA samples confirmed after clinical and radiological follow-up were included.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of lymphocytes in the TBNA sample does not exclude the neoplasic invasion of the specific lymph node analyzed.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neumología, Instituto Clínico del Tórax, Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Universitat de Barcelona, Ciber de Enfermedades Respiratorias 2009 SGR 911, Barcelona, España. cmlucena@clinic.ub.es
authors.forename: Carmen M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Lucena
authors.forename: Carles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Agustí
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martínez-Olondris
authors.forename: Esteban
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cano-Jiménez
authors.forename: Ramón M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Marrades
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Arguis
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Xaubet
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D001980:Bronchi; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008482:Mediastinum; D008545:Melanoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology