Thirty-three histologically proven cases of oat-cell carcinoma were examined to find morphological characteristics of the exfoliated tumor cells in sputum and in specimens obtained by bronchoscopy and by the TV-burshing method.
Sputum cytology proved in 77.4%, cytology of specimens obtained by bronchos copy and by the TV-brushing method proved in 85.1% and 100%, respectively.
Tumor cells were usually small, but occasionally larger than 11 microns in diameter. Large tumor cells were observed more in cases of a central type tumor than in cases of a peripheral type tumor. The nuclei were usually round, polygonal, orirregular.
Tumor cells with the light stained nuclei were often mixed with those with the dark stained nuclei in the same smear.Many finely granular chromatin and a few coarsely granular or coarsely reticular chromatin were seen in the light stained nuclei and coarsely granular or coarsely reticular chromatin were rather numerously seen in the dark stained nuclei.It is suggested that the light stained nuclei quickly degenerated from finely granular chromatin to india-ink spots while the dark stained nuclei slowly degenerated to coarse chromatin and remained in that state.Chromatin of fresh cancer cells obtained by bronchoscopy or by the TV-brushing method was mostly finely reticular or granular, but occasionally coarsely reticular or granular. As coarsely reticular or granular chromatin was considered to belong to degenerative nuclei, it is suggested that even in living cancer tissue, some degenerative changes of cancer cells were in progress.
A cytological comparison was made of oat cell carcinoma, bronchial carcinoid and neuroblastoma on their imprinted smear following resection or autopsy. It was assumed that these tumors might have a similar origin because of their morphological likeness.
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