Quantitative differences in the cellular yield of two bronchial brushes.
Two commercially available bronchial brushes were compared for their cellular yield. Specimens were obtained from 45 patients and 13 dogs by tracheal brushing via bronchofiberscopy. After extraction of the cells from the brushes, total cell count and the percentage of ciliated cells were determined in a hemacytometer. There was a large, significant difference in the number of cells obtained by the two brushes but no difference in the percentage of ciliated cells. Because the number of cells available for study may relate to the likelihood of making a positive cytologic diagnosis, the results suggest that bronchial brushes should be evaluated for their cellular yield.
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