Transepithelial Brush Biopsy - Oral CDx® - A Noninvasive Method for the Early Detection of Precancerous and Cancerous Lesions.
BACKGROUND
The Oral CDx® brush biopsy (BB) method is a computer-assisted sample analysis that detects abnormal cells in all cell layers of the epithelium of the oral mucosa.


METHODS
We took 263 oral BBs from 200 patients with potentially malignant disorders.


RESULTS
We received 204 negative results and 39 atypical, 7 positive and 13 inadequate results. SBs were taken in 56 cases. Therefore, the sensitivity for the detection of abnormal cells was 90% and the specificity was 44.1%. The positive predictive value accounted for 47.2% and the NPV accounted for 88.2%.


CONCLUSIONS
For the results of sensitivity and specificity of the Oral CDx® BB, there is still space for improvement but they are already high. Additional methods like DNA-image cytometry may enhance the results. But it is a simple and noninvasive method which does not need a special effort either from the patient or from the clinicians.
Faculty, Oral Surgery, Center of Dental Medicine, University of Zurich , Switzerland .
Casparis
C
S
Faculty, Oral Surgery, Center of Dental Medicine, University of Zurich , Switzerland .
Borm
B
J M
Faculty, Oral Surgery, Center of Dental Medicine, University of Zurich , Switzerland .
Tomic
T
M A
Faculty, Institute of Pathology , Reutlingen, Germany .
Burkhardt
B
A
Faculty, Oral Surgery, Center of Dental Medicine, University of Zurich , Switzerland .
Locher
L
M C
Brush biopsy; Mucosal lesions; Oral cancer; Screening method; Sensitivity; Specificity