Exfoliative cytology in chronic ulcerative colitis

Exfoliative Cytology of the Colon and Rectum

“…Cleansing was effected by soap enema, and purgatives were not given by mouth. Although in this investigation malignant cells were observed in one case of carcinoma of the caecum, the saline enema technique described by Rubin et al (1953) and Galambos, Massey, Klayman, and Kirsner (1956) is more likely to collect cells exfoliated from lesions in the right side of the colon.…”

“…Although the series is small, the results are encouraging, and a larger series of cases are being investigated by both the rectal washing and enema techniques. The one false positive case in the series draws attention to the problem discussed by Galambos and Klayman (1956) and by Boddington and Truelove (1956) of differentiating exfoliated malignant cells from cells exfoliated from an inflamed colonic mucous membrane. In the present series abnormal cells were seen in all the smears prepared from patients with inflammatory disease of the colon.…”

“…Most recently Galambos and Klayman (1956) reported a series of 68 patients, 26 of whom had malignant lesions confirmed at operation. The correct diagnosis was established in 16 of these cases by exfoliative cytology.…”

Diseases of the Gastrointestinal Tract

“…Galambos et al (129) have studied exfoliative cytology in both acute and chronic ulcerative colitis. In the chronic disease large columnar cells were noted, which simulated malignant cells.…”