COMPARISON OF BRUSH BEFORE BIOPSY, SUCTION CYTOLOGY, BRUSH AFTER BIOPSY AND ENDOSCOPIC BIOPSY IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF CARCINOMA ESOPHAGUS

A study was conducted on 40 patients of carcinoma oesophagus to compar e the diagnostic yield of brush before biopsy, suction cytology, brush after biopsy and endoscopic biopsy. The positive yield with brush bef ore biopsy was 87.5%, with suction cytology 90%, with brush after biop sy 100% and with endoscopic biopsy 90%. Difference in the yield of bru sh after biopsy compared to other modalities was statistically insigni ficant (P > 0.05). However, the quantitative yield of the material was significantly high (P < 0.05) in the brush after biopsy compared to b rush before biopsy. Of these three cytological modalities brush after biopsy appears to be the cytological technique of choice to be used as an adjunct to endoscopic biopsy.