The usefulness of liquid-based cytology of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid combined with bronchial brush specimens in lung cancer diagnosis

OBJECTIVE: To explore the diagnostic value of liquid-based cytology (LBC) of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) combined with bronchial brushing (BB). METHODS: One hundred patients with pulmonary masses or nodules found by chest computed tomography (CT) or X-ray before bronchoscopy or other diagnostic biopsy examinations were selected consecutively for this retrospective study. BALF and BB were performed for all patients. After conventional smear via BB, we mixed the BALF and BB samples in a prepared thin-layer bottle. RESULTS: The sensitivity of LBC of BALF combined with BB was noticeably higher than that of BB alone in the total sample group (65.15% vs. 32.84%, respectively). Similarly, in both the bronchoscopically visible group and invisible group, a higher sensitivity for LBC of BALF with BB vs BB alone (68.89% vs. 39.13%, respectively; 57.14% vs. 19.05%, respectively) was observed. Additionally, the negative predictive value of LBC of BALF with BB was higher than that with BB alone (58.56% vs. 42.31%; 61.29% vs. 44.73%; 53.47% vs. 37.83%; total sample vs visible vs invisible groups, respectively). CONCLUSION: Regardless of whether lesions or nodules are bronchoscopically visible or invisible, LBC of BALF combined with BB may increase the diagnostic value over BB alone in lung cancer diagnosis.