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Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Nasal Brushing Sampling and Processing Using Digital High Speed Ciliary Videomicroscopy – Adaptation for the COVID-19 Pandemic
Published on: November 7, 2020
Sensitivity and specificity of oral brush biopsy
Bettina Hohlweg-Majert1, Herbert Deppe, Marc C Metzger
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universitat München, Munich, Germany. majert@mkg.med.tum.de
Abstract:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the advantage of computer-assisted analysis of the oral brush biopsy compared with synchronous scalpel biopsy in the early detection of oral lesions. In this prospective, randomized, controlled study, brush and scalpel biopsies were performed on 75 patients. Six patients had to be excluded due to inadequate results, and 43 were shown to have dysplastic epithelium, 15 carcinoma, and 11 suspicious lesions. Therefore, the sensitivity for the detection of abnormal cells by means of OralCDx was 52%, specificity 29%, and the positive predictive value 63%. According to our results, the use of oral brush biopsy as a standardized, minimally invasive method of screening oral lesions should be reconsidered.
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