[Cytological studies in pulmonary pathology]

Cytological investigations of the bronchial secretion and sputum in particular have acquired in recent years a great practical significance in pulmonary pathology. It is recommended to use cytodiagnosis along with prophylactic X-ray examinations of the population to detect pulmonary pathology, in particular among individuals with a higher risk of developing cancer. A substantiated opinion is put forward that cytodiagnosis should precede examinations of patients with clinico-roentgenologically confirmed changes in the lungs.