Fine needle aspiration and endoscopic brush cytology: comparison of direct smears and rinsings.

When cellular samples obtained by endoscopic brushings and by fine needle aspirations were prepared by the direct smear thechnique, 22% were unsatisfactory due to scantiness of the cellular sample, air drying of the cells or bloodiness of the specimens. To improve diagnostic accuracy, an additional specimen was prepared by rinsing the brush or needle in a balanced salt solution, from which cells were recovered by membrane filtration. The combination of direct smears and rinsings decreased our unsatisfactory rate to 2% and increased our diagnosis rate for malignant neoplasms by 24%.