The cell concentration method using acetylcysteine for sputum cytology.

In order to improve the results of cytologic diagnosis of pulmonary carcinoma, a technique for concentrating cells from sputum using acetylcysteine was developed. Using the same sputum specimens, the rate of positive cytologic diagnosis of pulmonary carcinoma by this method was increased by 22.6% over the level achieved by the direct smear method. This cell concentration method improved the rate of positive diagnosis in peripheral type pulmonary carcinoma and particularly in adenocarcinoma. The cell concentration method using acetylcysteine shows great promise in the cytologic diagnosis of sputum specimens.