Intraoperative pleural lavage in esophageal carcinoma

• Published in: Annals of surgical oncology Vol. 6; no. 3; pp. 305 - 307
• Main Authors: Natsugoe, S, Shimada, M, Nakashima, S, Tokuda, K, Matsumoto, M, Kijima, F, Baba, M, Shimizu, K, Tanaka, S, Aikou, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Springer Nature B.V 01-04-1999
• Subjects: Blood cells; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid - cytology; Carcinoma; Carcinoma - pathology; Carcinoma - surgery; Epithelial cells; Esophageal cancer; Esophageal carcinoma; Esophageal Neoplasms - pathology; Esophageal Neoplasms - surgery; Esophagectomy; Esophagus; Female; Humans; Intraoperative Care; Lavage; Male; Middle Aged; Peritoneum; Pleura - pathology; Prognosis; Squamous cell carcinoma; Tumor cells; Tumors
• ISSN: 1068-9265; 1534-4681
• DOI: 10.1007/s10434-999-0305-z

Cytological examination of intraoperative pleural or peritoneal lavage specimens is useful for predicting outcomes for patients with various carcinomas. There have been few reports regarding cytological examination of pleural lavage fluid in esophageal carcinoma.
Intraoperative pleural lavage fluid was collected before and after esophagectomy and was examined by Papanicolaou and Giemsa staining for 78 patients with esophageal carcinoma.
Although epithelial cells were found for 29 patients, only blood cells were detected for 48. The remaining one patient exhibited no cells in the specimen. For 4 of 78 (5.2%) patients, tumor cells were detected in the pleural lavage fluid after esophagectomy. Three of these four patients had T4 tumors.
Positive cytological findings for pleural lavage fluid, using Papanicolaou and Giemsa staining, is correlated with regrowth of residual tumor and poor prognosis in esophageal carcinoma.