Diagnostic significance of carcinoembryonic antigen levels in serous effusions. Correlation with cytology.

摘要: Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) determinations were performed in 86 malignant and 103 benign serous fluids submitted for routine cytologic examination. Cytology alone identified 54 (63%) of the fluids. The remaining 32 (37%) had elevated CEA levels but no detectable cells. In nearly half 67 effusions with greater than 2.5 ng/ml negative cytology, concentrations confirmed to be associated malignancy. Most (92.5%) cytologically positive also CEA. Elevated assay may raise suspicion malignancy that are cytologically. Increased alone, however, cannot used confirming because ng/ ml (mean, 10.5 +/- 8.2) found 50% proven nonmalignant. Fluid was more consistently tumors gastrointestinal tract (greater 25 ng/ml), lung (11.2 8.9) breast (11.6 7.7) lymphomas or sarcomas (3.6 1). Paired plasma fluid particularly helpful a clinical diagnosis cases biopsy findings.