Chromosome analysis and cell cytology in effusions. A comparative study.

Chromosome analysis and conventional cytology have been done on serous effusions from 35 patients, 21 of whom had a final clinical diagnosis of malignant disease and 14 of non-malignant disease. Sixteen of the malignant cases were previously untreated. Cytology disclosed nine cases as malignant, three as suspect malignant and nine as normal. The comparable figures for chromosome analysis were 14 malignant, two suspect malignant, and five normal. Neither of the methods gave false positive results in the small series of non-malignant disease. In the present study chromosome analysis has thus provided greater diagnostic accuracy than cytology on serous effusions of malignant disorders.