UTILITY OF GASTRIC BRUSHING IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF MALIGNANT-LYMPHOMA

The gastric brushings (GBRs) and endoscopic biopsies obtained concurre ntly from 27 patients in whom malignant lymphoma was diagnosed or sugg ested by either modality were assessed to evaluate the utility of cyto logic examination in the diagnosis of gastric lymphoma. GBRs provided a definitive diagnosis of lymphoma in 2 (28%) of 7 patients with a pri or history of lymphoma and 10 (56%) of 18 patients with primary gastri c lymphoma, yielding an overall sensitivity of 48%. All the lymphomas diagnosed cytologically were large cell type. GBRs were suspicious for a malignant neoplasm in four lymphoma patients whose concurrent biops ies were negative. GBRs obtained from two patients who had gastritis w ere reported as suspicious for lymphoma. There were no false-positive diagnoses.