Cytologic Diagnosis of Cancer from Pleural and Peritoneal Fluids

Abstract

Carcinoma cells were reported 37 times in smears of 175 effusions. In one instance a smear taken from a peritoneal exudate was diagnosed as positive for carcinoma cells, while at the autopsy only cirrhosis of the liver was found. This false-positive diagnosis was based on the finding of pseudo-glandular structures, which proved to be nothing else but mesothelial cells arranged in form of pseudo-tubules. A negative diagnosis (false negative) for cancer was made twice.