[The significance of pleural fluid cytology in the differential diagnosis of pleurisy showing lymphocyte-predominant pleural effusion].

We examined the significance of pleural fluid cytology in differentiation between tuberculous and non-tuberculous pleurisy in patients with lymphocyte-predominant pleural effusion. We divided pleural fluid cytologic findings into two patterns, that is "tuberculous" and "non-tuberculous pattern", according to the report by Spieler, and compared the cytologic pattern with the final clinical diagnosis. Thirteen out of 19 cases (68.4%) with tuberculous pleurisy showed "tuberculous pattern" in the pleural fluid cytology, while four (pleurisy associated with collagen-vascular disease, asbestosis and carcinoma, and idiopathic pleurisy) out of 13 (30.8%) with non-tuberculous pleurisy revealed "tuberculous pattern". The pleural fluid cytology could be used as one of the additional means to differentiate between tuberculous and non-tuberculous pleurisy, though it is impossible to differentiate between them with the pleural fluid cytology alone.