The cytological diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma using a silk swab stick

Cytopathology. 1991;2(5):239-46. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2303.1991.tb00495.x.

Abstract

A prospective study was carried out to investigate the efficacy of exfoliative cytology for the diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Exfoliated nasopharyngeal cells were collected from patients with a clinical suspicion of carcinoma by scraping the nasopharyngeal mucosa with a piece of silk wrapped around one end of a wooden stick. Ninety-eight patients were investigated in this manner, and the results of cytological investigation compared with the histological findings. The sensitivity of cytological investigation was 71% and the overall accuracy was 86%. The combined use of cytology and serology as a method of screening for nasopharyngeal carcinomas is discussed.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Cytodiagnosis / instrumentation
  • Cytodiagnosis / methods*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Prospective Studies
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Sensitivity and Specificity