CYTOLOGIC DISTINCTION BETWEEN BRONCHIOALVEOLAR CARCINOMA AND REACTIVEREPARATIVE RESPIRATORY EPITHELIUM - A CYTOMORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS/

Cytologically the distinction between bronchioalveolar carcinoma and r eactive/reparative, processes of respiratory epithelium can be difficu lt. Retrospectively we have identified II consecutive cases of bronchi oalveolar carcinoma front the cytology files of University Missouri-Ka nsas City/Truman Medical Center: On average, a combined 5.71 cytologic /histologic procedures were performed before reaching a definitive dia gnosis for this group. An additional seven random cases of reactive/re parative respiratory cases of adult respiratory distress syndrome pati ents were used as a control. Cytomorphometric analysis was performed. The mean average nuclear diameter for the carcinoma group was 13.76 mu m and for the reactive/reparative group was 13.29 mu m. There was no statistical difference between the two groups (paired student t test P >.05). It appears from our data that mean nuclear diameter is not a d iscriminator for the cytologic distinction between bronchioalveolar ca rcinoma and reactive/reparative respiratory epithelium and that the ac cepted cytologic parameters of for bronchioalveolar carcinoma are,more valid (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss,Inc.