DIAGNOSTIC EFFICACY OF SMEAR-CYTOLOGY & CELL BLOCK COMPARED TO PLEURAL BIOPSY IN SUSPECTED MALIGNANT PLEURAL EFFUSIONS

BACK GROUND: Pleural space is a potential space between visceral and parietal pleurae of each lung with less than 5 ml of pleural fluid present in each hemithorax normally. In healthy individuals the pleural fluid contains less than 1000 WBC/mm3 , glucose level similar to that of plasma, lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) less than 50% of plasma and protein content less than 1.5 gms/100 ml

METHODS: Patients of pleural effusions admitted in Govt. Chest and Communicable Diseases Hospital, Visakhapatnam were selected for the present study after taking history, thorough physical and systemic examination. They were subjected to relevant diagnostic work up.

RESULTS: Out of the total of 30 patients,21 patients were proved to be positive for malignancy by pleural biopsy with a yield of 70%; cell block method helped in the diagnosis in 24 cases (80%) and smear cytology of pleural fluid established diagnosis in 12 cases (40%).

CONCLUSION: in the present study the cell block method showed higher diagnostic yield when compared to smear cytology and pleural biopsy

smear cytology   cell block   pleural biopsy   malignant pleural effusions