Chromosome analysis in the diagnosis of malignant ascites
Fraisse, J.; Thaunat, J.L.; Peillon, S.; Barthélemy, C.; Brizard, C.P.; Fraisse, H.
Gastroenterologie Clinique et Biologique 4(10): 674-680
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0399-8320 PMID: 7002699 Document Number: 167029
Conventional cytology applied to the diagnosis of cancer in ascites fluid has an appreciable percentage of false negatives. In order to determine whether chromosome analysis could be useful, cytological and cytogenetic results obtained in 255 ascites were compared. Of 175 ascitic patients with benign disease, none were misclassified. Of 80 ascitic patients with documented malignant disease, 43 (53.5%) were diagnosed correctly by cytologic tests compared with 62 (76%) by chromosome analysis (P < 0.05). Among these 80 patients, 17 had primary hepatocellular carcinoma of the liver, generally associated with cirrhosis, and in most cases no peritoneal carcinosis was present. In the 63 remaining patients with malignant diseases, results were positive in 66% of the cases using cytologic tests, and in 90% of the cases using cylogenetic tests. Chromosome analysis, thus, is a useful complement to cytological tests in the diagnosis of malignant ascites.