Analysis of laryngeal brush biopsy-based cytology results in patients of the 4th Military Teaching Hospital and Polyclinic in Wrocław in years 2019–2020

Abstract

<b>Introduction:</b> Cytological examination of exfoliated epithelial cells of the uterine cervix, oral cavity, or rectum has been successfully used in the diagnostics of pathological conditions of these organs for many years. In these cases, the test material is collected from the available regions. </br></br> <b>Aim:</b> The aim of the study consisted in the analysis of cytological smears of laryngeal epithelial cells from patients hospitalized at the Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery of the 4th Military Teaching Hospital and Polyclinic in Wrocław in years 2019–2020. The analysis was aimed at demonstrating whether representative laryngeal epithelial material could be obtained from brush biopsies. </br></br> <b>Material and methods:</b> The study was carried out in 92 subjects aged between 26 and 85 years, including 34 women (37.0%), from whom material for cytological examination had been collected from the larynx in the course of microsurgical procedures carried out using the Kleinsasser laryngeal instrument set in 2019–2020. </br></br> <b>Results: </b>Analysis was performed on 90 out of 92 cell smears (97.8%). Two smears were not qualified for analysis due to ille-gibility. The smears were assessed using a proprietary scale consisting in a modification of the Bethesda system. Abnormal results of cytological examinations were obtained in a majority of cases. HSILs with invasive features were the most common abnormal results of cytological examinations. </br></br> <b>Conclusions:</b> Laryngeal epithelial cells can be successfully evaluated by means of cytological examination. Abnormal presen-tation of cytological smear is frequently hypercellular, with inflammatory cells being observed less frequently. No statistically significant relationship was observed between the results of the cytological examination and the overall quality of the smear, number of cells, number of erythrocytes, or the severity of inflammation.