Comparison between Liquid-based Cytology and Conventional Exfoliative Cytology in the Diagnosis of Head and Neck Carcinomas

Objective: To compare the liquid-based cytology and conventional exfoliative cytology in the diagnosis of head and neck carcinomas. Methods: One hundred and two slides obtained from 19 individual with malignant neoplasias were examined. The samples were divided into 3 groups: group 1 - head and neck carcinoma smears obtained by liquid-based cytology; group 2 (control) - liquid-based cytology samples obtained from healthy tissue (opposed anatomic region), and group 3 - head and neck carcinoma smears obtained by conventional exfoliative cytology. The smears were processed in laboratory and evaluated by light microscopy. Data were subjected to the chi-square (X2), ANOVA and Tukey-Kramer test (p<0.05). Results: There was statistically significant difference (p<0.05) among the groups for the cellular alterations suggestive of malignancy. The slides prepared by liquid-based cytology permitted better visualization of the neoplastic cells. The epithelial cells were more dissociated and the sample was more representative. The number of unsatisfactory samples decreased by 54.6% and the sensitivity increased by 53% when liquid-based cytology was used. This technique permitted obtaining more homogeneous smears and slides with better quality, reducing the number of unsatisfactory samples and increasing the sensitivity of the exam. Conclusion: Liquid-based cytology can be indicated as an auxiliary resource in the diagnosis of oral lesions, especially in the cases of malignant neoplasias of epithelial origin.