sputum cytology

Reference interval

• normal epithelial cells

Clinical significance

• tumors within the pulmonary system frequently slough cells into respiratory secretions
• when sputum is collected, malignant cells may be seen with
  • squamous cell carcinoma (60%)
  • small cell carcinoma (21%)
  • adenocarcinoma (16%)
  • large cell carcinoma (13%)
• bronchoscopy & percutaneous lung biopsy have largely replaced sputum cytology*
• used mostly for patients with productive cough, abnormal chest X-ray & negative bronchoscopy
• less sensitive than chest X-ray for detection of lung cancer

* MKSAP19 refers to blood-tinged sputum as hemoptysis worked-up with contrast-enhanced chest CT

More general terms

• cytology

Additional terms

• sputum (phlegm)