[OralCDx brush biopsy--a tool for early diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma]

Aim of the present study was an evaluation of the OralCDx brush biopsy (CDx Laboratories Germany, D-72764 Reutlingen) as a screening method for apparently benign lesions of the oral mucosa which due to their harmless clinical appearance previously would not have been subjected to incisional biopsy. One hundred and eighteen brush biopsies from 100 patients were analyzed. Ninety-three brush biopsies from 79 patients revealed a negative result. All OralCDx "atypical", "positive" and "inadequate" results were referred for conventional scalpel biopsy and examined by conventional histology. In six patients (seven OralCDx tests) with the result "positive" and in 14 patients with the result "atypical" by histological examination, carcinoma (4), severe dysplasia (4), moderate dysplasia (1) and mild dysplasia (4) were detected. The OralCDx brush biopsy proved to be a valuable new minimally invasive method for early detection and surveillance of oral dysplasia and of oral squamous cell carcinoma of innocuous appearance.