EVALUATION OF THE ROLE OF CYTOLOGY IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF PULMONARY CARCINOMAS - COMPARISON BETWEEN CYTOLOGY AND ANATOMICAL PATHOLOGY IN 330 CASES

Their retrospective study was performed to evaluate the interest of cy tology in the diagnosis of pulmonary carcinomas. Bronchial samples wer e collected from 330 patients known to display a macroscopic lesion wh ich was detected by bronchoscopy. Cytological analysis of the bronchia l brushings and washings, removed at the first fibroscopy, allowed the diagnosis of malignancy in 92% of the cases analyzed whereas the biop sy confirmed the malignancy in 77% of the cases. In conclusion cytolog ical studies gave information on malignity and classification in 90% o f the cases. However histological classification only could guaranty t he choice of the best treatment regimen.