[Significance of endoscopic biopsy and cytology in the diagnosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma].

We have tested the role and significance of histology combined with cytology in the diagnosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinomas. Biopsy specimens and samples for cytological smear were taken by a fiberoptic flexible endoscope. In order to minimise the loss of biological sample, the residue from the brush was removed with rinsing fluid. From 1973 to 2005 we examined 820 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. Endoscopic biopsy yielded positive result in 97.2%. Cytology performed in 724 patients turned out to be positive in 90.3%. Both examinations were conducted in 648 patients (79%), and yielded positive result in 572 patients (88.3%). Negative biopsy result was obtained in 22 patients, however, 14 of them had positive cytological diagnosis. Both biopsy and cytology were negative in 8 cancer patients (1%). No complication was observed with either diagnostic technique. In our material cancer was diagnosed in 776 patients by histology. However, in a further 14 of 22 patients with negative histology, cancer was detected by cytology. This means that the presence of cancer was also confirmed on the basis of morphological features in 790 cases, i.e. in 96.3% of the patients. Our results show that the combined use of biopsy and cytology in malignant tumours yields high diagnostic accuracy. Since abrasion exfoliate cytology is a quick and useful diagnostic measure it should be a routine examination in the evaluation of abnormal changes in the esophageal mucosa. The examination of the rinsing fluid of the sampling brush, introduced by us, yielded additional diagnostic information.