PERITONEAL-FLUID CYTOLOGY IN ADVANCED MUCINOUS CYSTADENOCARCINOMA OF THE PANCREAS

OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of peritoneal cytology in the management of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma. STUDY DESIGN: A review of the periton eal fluid cytologic findings in eight selected cases of pancreatic muc inous cystadenocarcinomas. RESULTS: Four of eight cases (50%) were pos itive for malignant cells. All four patients with positive peritoneal cytology had unresectable tumors and extensive intraabdominal metastas es. Of the Jour patients with negative cytology, three had unresectabl e, locally invasive tumors without metastases, and one had a resectabl e turner confined to the pancreas. CONCLUSION: Peritoneal cytology is frequently positive in unresectable mucinous cystadenocarcinomas with intraabdominal metastases, but cytology may often be negative in unres ectable cases. Therefore, negative cytologic findings in these cases d o not reliably ensure resectability, while positive findings clearly c orrelate with the presence of intraabdominal metastases. A larger stud y of unselected patients, including more with resectable tumors, will be required to define the full utility of this technique in preoperati ve assessment.