2015 Volume 29 Issue 1 Pages 11-14
Intraoperative pleural lavage cytology (PLC) is a useful prognostic indicator for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the lavage technique has not been standardized and differs from center to center. There is a need to standardize this practice to minimize differences in the results that may arise from differences in technique. The objective of this study was to evaluate the quantity of saline in PLC. From November 2008 through May 2011, PLC was performed in 435 consecutive NSCLC patients. After the opening of the pleura, and before any surgical manipulation of the lung, 5 mL of warm physiologic saline solution was flushed into the pleural space and retrieved. Then, 100 mL of saline was similarly flushed and retrieved. Forty patients had a positive result (9.2%). Among them, 36 patients had positive results (8.3%) with 5 mL of saline and 38 patients (8.7%) with 100 mL. There was no evidence of disparity in technique selection between 5 and 100 mL of saline (κ index=0.9114). This suggests that we can obtain precise information on PLC with even a small residual quantity of saline.
