The Value of Cytobrush Technique in The Diagnosis of Oral Ulcerative Lesions

484 Abstract A total of 49 patients were included in this study, 29 patients with oral benign and malignant lesions, and 20 healthy individuals were included as control. All these cases were examined by using cytobrush technique. The study aimed to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of cytobrush method in the detection of precancerous and cancerous lesions of oral mucosa. The results of cytobrush method were compared with those of scalpel biopsy of suspicious oral lesions. The brush method has high sensitivity and specificity rate (88% sensitivity, 100% specificity). The cytobrush method was a highly accurate method of detecting oral precancerous andcancerous lesions (93% accuracy rate). Although the histological pattern was the definitive diagnosis in those patients, but when the lesion was doubtful, the cytological examination (cytobrush technique) was not only supportive but also diagnostic. It can aid in confirming the nature of apparently benign oral lesionsand, more significantly, revealing those that are precancerous and cancerous when they are not clinically suspected of being so. All cytobrush positive results should be referred for scalpel biopsy and histology to completely characterize the lesion. ةصلاخلا