title: Introduction and utility of liquid-based cytology on aspiration biopsy of peripheral nodular lesions of the lung.
abstract: In the present study, aspiration biopsy cytology (ABC) was used for the diagnosis of peripheral nodular lesions in the lung (PNLL), and liquid-based cytology (LBC) was carried out on the material collected to evaluate it in comparison with the conventional method (CM). The subjects comprised 130 cases that underwent computed tomography (CT)-guided ABC for PNLL. A total of 73 cases received a tumor resection, with a diagnosis based on the pathology, while 57 cases were followed up, as the tumor showed no change on the radiological examinations. Biopsy samples from these patients and lavage fluid from the aspiration needles were used for analysis. Cellular material was obtained by centrifugation of the lavage fluid, and samples were prepared by two methods, direct smearing and LBC according to the ThinPrep method. The samples were categorized into three diagnoses: i) Benign, ii) suspicion of malignancy and iii) malignant. Appropriate samples were collected in 72% of cases by LBC, but only in 36% of cases by the CM. There was no marked difference in cellular images between the two methods, with the exception of a few specific cases. LBC on its own provided sensitivity at 68%, specificity at 61% and accuracy at 65%, while a combination of LBC and biopsy markedly improved these figures to 94, 81 and 84%, respectively. The introduction of LBC is considered useful for the cytopathological diagnosis of PNLL by CT-guided ABC. LBC enables the examination of appropriate samples rich in cellular components and supports a biopsy-based diagnosis. A combination of these two methods provides even higher diagnostic accuracy, and LBC is considered an excellent method to evaluate these pathological samples.
authors: Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
authors: Johji
authors: J
authors: Imura
authors: Department of Pathology, Ibaraki Prefectural Central Hospital, Kasama 309-1793, Japan.
authors: Kaori
authors: K
authors: Abe
authors: Department of Pathology, Ibaraki Prefectural Central Hospital, Kasama 309-1793, Japan.
authors: Yoshiaki
authors: Y
authors: Uchida
authors: Department of Pathology, Ibaraki Prefectural Central Hospital, Kasama 309-1793, Japan.
authors: Masaharu
authors: M
authors: Shibata
authors: Department of Pathology, Ibaraki Prefectural Central Hospital, Kasama 309-1793, Japan.
authors: Kazue
authors: K
authors: Tsunematsu
authors: Department of Radiology, Ibaraki Prefectural Central Hospital, Kasama 309-1793, Japan.
authors: Motohiro
authors: M
authors: Sathoh
authors: Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
authors: Shigeharu
authors: S
authors: Miwa
authors: Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
authors: Takahiko
authors: T
authors: Nakajima
authors: Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
authors: Kazuhiro
authors: K
authors: Nomoto
authors: Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
authors: Shinichi
authors: S
authors: Hayashi
authors: Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
authors: Koichi
authors: K
authors: Tsuneyama
keywords: computed tomography-guided aspiration biopsy/cytology; liquid-based cytology; lung tumor