Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of intraoperative cytology for lung tumors in which definitive diagnosis is impossible preoperatively.
Study Design: We compared the accuracy of intraoperative cytology and permanent histology in 80 patients with undiagnosed lung tumors. We also compared the diagnostic evaluations by aspiration and imprint cytology.
Results: Intraoperative cytology had a diagnostic sensitivity of 90.4%, specificity of 96.4%, and accuracy of 92.5%. In five cases it was difficult to differentiate between carcinoma and benign disease cytologically (imprint cytology) and histologically they were all adenocarcinoma, including mucinous adenocarcinoma and bronchiolo-alveolar adenocarcinoma. A false-positive diagnosis was made in one patient by intraoperative aspiration cytology, and epithelioid granuloma (non-tuberculous mycobacteria according to the results of cultures) was diagnosed histologically.
Conclusion: Intraoperative cytology is a useful procedure for diagnosing lung tumors and is highly accurate.
