Comparison of pleural fluid cytology and pleural biopsy in the evaluation of pleural effusion.

Pleural fluid cytology and pleural biopsy results were studied in 65 cases of pleural effusion. The efficacy of pleural biopsy in diagnosis of neoplastic and non-neoplastic pleural diseases was compared. Of the 24 cases with confirmatory evidence of cancer, 17(70.8%) has positive cytologic findings in pleural fluid, whereas pleural biopsy was diagnostic in only 13 cases (54.1%). For non-malignant pleural effusion in 41 cases 40(97.5%) has a definite diagnosis (tuberculous pleuritis, acute fibrinous pleuritis or hydatid cyst) which could be made by cytology while only 31(75.6%) out of 41 were diagnosed on pleural biopsy. The study indicates that cytologic evaluation of pleural fluid is more efficaceous in the diagnosis of malignant and non-malignant pleural disease than percutaneous pleural biopsy.