A study of cytological evaluation of pleural effusion

Effusions are extremely common and constitute a significant proportion of all cytologic specimens being examined in any laboratory of a general hospital.1 Fluid analysis plays an important role in clinical medicine. The major purpose of examination is for the presence of malignant cells and also to identify the effusion is of inflammatory, non specific and or neoplastic origin. Objectives: 1. To study the age and sex wise incidence of pleural effusions. 2. To study the incidence of non- neoplastic and neoplastic effusions. 3. To study the gross and microscopic features of effusions. Materials and Methods: Two years prospective study was done on 360 specimens of pleural effusions and were analysed. Centrifuged smears were stained and studied with clinical correlation. Results: Out of 360, 342(95%) were non neoplastic and 18(5%) were neoplastic effusions. Commonest malignancy was Adenocarcinoma. Conclusion: Non-neoplastic lesions were common in the study. Exudates were common in infections Tuberculosis), Pneumonia and Malignancy.