[Capabilities of cytological assay in the detection of metastatic lesions of the lymph nodes].

The study was undertaken to define the capabilities of cytological assay in the detection of metastatic lymph node lesions. A total of 6794 lymph nodes, including 5206 fine-needle biopsy specimens of and 1588 scrapes and imprints of the lymph nodes taken from the patients operated on at the P. A. Herzen Moscow Oncological Research Institute, were analyzed. Cytological specimens were stained using the modified Pappenheim procedure (azur-eosin mixtures). The results of the cytological assay were compared with those of a planned histological examination of the lymph nodes. Overall, the accuracy of the cytological technique was 99%; false-negative and false-positive results were 0.8 and 0.2%, respectively. That of intraoperative cytological diagnosis of metastatic lymph node lesions was 99.2%. The cytological technique for examining the lymph nodes is a simple, available, and valid method of morphological diagnosis. Errors can be made in cases of micrometastases, sinus histiocytosis. There may be problems in the differential diagnosis of tumor cells and inflammatory elements.