INTERPRETATION OF ATYPICAL CELLS IN PLEURAL AND PERITONEAL EFFUSION

Abstract

A histochemical method demonstrating the cellular amount of nonspecific esterase was applied in the cytologic examination of human pleural and peritoneal effusions concerning the recognition of malignant cells. Because of the presence of false positive and false negative results the method is not conclusive of the benign or malignant nature of atypical cells found, but the method may be of value in certain cases.