Carcinoembryonic antigen assay of intra-abdominal fine-needle aspirates

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

American journal of surgery

Abstract

Differentiating abscesses from necrotic tumors has important therapeutic implications. Currently, cytologic examination is the "gold standard," but it has a low sensitivity for cystic/necrotic tumors. To address this problem, a prospective study was conducted comparing the results of cytologic examination with those of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) immunoassay of fine-needle aspirates in 24 patients undergoing radiologically or surgically guided fine-needle aspiration. Of 26 fine-needle aspirates, 20 were malignant and 6 benign. Final results were correlated with pathologic examination (when available), clinical review, and follow-up. Three patients had an abscess associated with perforated, recurrent carcinoma, of whom only one had cytologic assessment prior to drainage. The sensitivity of fine-needle aspiration was 85%, and for adenocarcinoma alone, 80%. CEA sensitivity (greater than 5 ng/mL) was 50%, and for adenocarcinoma, 90%; the specificity of the assay was 64%. A high CEA level alone was diagnostic of metastatic carcinoma of the colon in two fine-needle aspirates. Cytologic assessment and CEA assay of fine-needle aspirates and cyst/abscess drainage facilitate the diagnosis of unsuspected adenocarcinoma.

First Page

311

Last Page

2

DOI

10.1016/s0002-9610(05)80982-1

Publication Date

9-1-1993

Identifier

8368446 (pubmed); 10.1016/s0002-9610(05)80982-1 (doi); S0002-9610(05)80982-1 (pii)

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