Fine needle aspiration of the lung: a study of 53 consecutive cases

We reviewed our fine needle aspirations of the lung and chest on 53 consecutive patients from January 1979 through June 1982. Almost all of the patients had been studied by sputum and bronchial cytology and many by bronchial or transbronchial biopsy, but none of the patients had a definitive diagnosis. All of the lung aspirates were done in the department of radiology, using a 22 gauge Chiba disposable needle and the Wright-Giemsa stain. Twenty-four cases (45%) were diagnosed as malignant and ten cases (19%) were considered suggestive. Nineteen cases (36%) were read as negative for malignant cells, but in six of these cases (11% of total) we were able to make the diagnosis of an infectious process based on characteristic cytologic findings.