Publication: Study of effusion cytology in patients with simultaneous malignancy and ascites
Date
2006
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kathmandu University
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate sensitivity of effusion cytology in detecting malignancy
Materials and methods: Effusion cytology was studied from 37 malignancy associated and 28 non malignancy
associated ascitic fluid samples.
Results: Out of 65 cases, 44 (67.7%) effusions were reported negative, 15 (23.1%) were positive and 6 (9.2%) were
suspicious for malignancy. Thus total 21 effusions (32.3%) were tumour cell positive. All 21 (100%) were true
positive, none (0%) was false positive, 28 (63.6%) were true negative and 16 (36.4%) were false negative.
Thus ascitic fluid cytology had sensitivity of 56.7% and specificity of 100%. Predictive value of positive test and
negative test was 100% and 63.6% respectively. Stomach was the most common primary site of malignancy
associated with ascites (11 /37 i.e. 29.7%) where as adenocarcinoma was the most common type of malignancy
(11/15 i.e.73.3%) in ascitic fluid cytology.
Conclusion: Ascitic fluid cytology is a simple and useful procedure with sensitivity of 56.7% and should be
routinely requested.
Key words: Ascitic fluid, Effusion cytology
Description
Jha R 1 , Shrestha HG2, Sayami G 3, Pradhan SB4
1Lecturer, 3 Head of Department, Department of Pathology, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu,
2Head of Department, Department of Pathology, Nepal Medical college and Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu,
4Lecturer, Department of Pathology, Kathmandu Medical college and Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu