Mediastinal lavage cytology: is it a logical idea in patients with NSCLC?

We speculated that tumour cells may be present in the mediastinum which has rich lymphatic connection with lung parenchyma with the same mechanism as in the pleural space and affect the survival unfavourably. Mediastinal lava ge was performed in 44 consecutive cases who had histologically proven NSCL C and undervent mediastinoscopy for staging of the disease. Patients ranged in age between 32-73 (average 54,4). Histology was epidermoid cancer in 31 , adenocancer in 12, large cell cancer in one. The results of mediastinosco pic biopsies yielded N-0 in 31 patients, N-2 in 8 and N-3 in 5. None of the patients had positive lavage cytology before punch biopsies. One patient w ho had Nj disease yielded positive ravage cytology, after the biopsies. The se interim results suggested that tumour cells do not exfoliate into the me diastinum.