Efficacy of Bronchial Wash and Brush Cytology and its correlation with Biopsy in Lung Lesions

Back ground : Lung cancer is the commonest cause of cancer related deaths worldwide. So early diagnosis and management is the key to prevent mortality. Bronchoscopic guided washing and brushing can complement histological biopsy in early diagnosis as it is having good cytological yield. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of bronchoscopic washings, brushings and its correlation with subsequent biopsy in diagnosing lung lesions. Materials and methods : Prospective study of 38 cases from 20 to 70yrs of age was conducted in department of pathology, MIMS from Jan 2013 to Dec 2013. They had visible endobronchial lesions by flexible bronchoscopy and subjected to cytological washing and brushing study and subsequent biopsy. Cytological and biopsy specimens were fixed in isopropyl alcohol and formalin respectively and stained with Hemotoxylin & Eosin stain. Results : Cytology revealed 12 malignant,13 benign,5 suspicious and 2 inadequate smears respectively. Histopathology of these cases confirmed 23 as malignant and 14 as benign. True positive were 16 and true negative were 13 cases. 1 false positive case and 6 false negative cases were reported. The bronchial wash cytology showed sensitivity of 80.5%, specificity of 92.85% and accuracy of 80.5%. Conclusion : Bronchial cytology is a valuable tool and yields almost same information as biopsy.