EVALUATION OF CELL BLOCK TECHNIQUE VERSUS CONVENTIONAL CYTOLOGY ON BRONCHOSCOPY GUIDED NEEDLE ASPIRATION/ BRUSH CYTOLOGY FOR DIAGNOSIS OF LUNG CANCER

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Bronchoscopy is a safe and effective method for diagnosing lung carcinomas with a variation in the diagnostic yield with different bronchoscopy guided procedures. Cell block technique has shown an addition cases positivity in diagnosing carcinomas as compared to the conventional method. AIM: The present study was aimed to evaluate the diagnostic utility of cell block technique on Bronchoscopy guided needle aspiration/ Brush and also to compare cytological preparation with cell block. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 50 cases were included in the study that was suspected to be having lung carcinoma. These patients went under bronchoscope guided aspirations (TBNA, EBNA, and Brush). Smears were immediately made for conventional cytology study and well as in another aliquot samples were collected to prepare cell blocks following which H&E staining was done. RESULTS: Out of 50 cases, 8 cases came out to be negative on conventional smears and when compared with cell block technique 4 additional cases came out to be positive who were negative on conventional smears. The diagnosis were compared with histopathology biopsies keeping it as a gold standard and results on cell block techniques were conrmed to be true. CONCLUSION: Out of 50 cases, an additional 4 more cases were diagnosed malignant by using the cell blocks technique but there were few drawbacks with cell block technique. In few of the cases on cell block, cellularity was very less, cells morphology was also not very clear and some showed cells entrapped in a clusters. The conclusion made out of this study is that cell block technique is more accurate than the cytological smears and when used in combination diagnostic efcacy will be improved.