Fine needle aspiration biopsy cytology of pulmonary tumors.

Transthoracic fine needle aspiration specimens of the pulmonary tumors were obtained from 144 patients. Fine needle aspiration biopsy were performed using local anaesthesia and ultrasonographic or scopie control. The 20-gauge needles were used to obtain the specimens. 93 of patients have been diagnosed as squamous cell carcinomas, 28 as adenoid carcinomas, 18 as anaplastic carcinomas and 5 as a non neoplastic lesions (tuberculoma and abscessus). The tumors were typed according to the second WHO histological classification. Analysis of the date indicated that malignant neoplasms were identified correctly with an accuracy of 92.0%. There were not false positive diagnoses. There were two false negative diagnoses (squamous cell carcinoma) and in three cases the diagnosis were as suspected for malignancy. The results confirmed the value of fine needle aspiration cytopathology for the diagnosis of pulmonary tumors.