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Background: Morbidity and mortality from chronic lung diseases are increasing worldwide. A combination of various cytological and histopathological techniques are required for the high diagnostic accuracy. This study aims to evaluate and compare diagnostic accuracy of fiberoptic bronchoscope aided cytohistological techniques such as BAL (bronchoalveolar lavage), TBNA (Transbronchoscopic needle aspiration) and FB (forceps biopsy) in diseases of lung. Method: A prospective study conducted on 100 patients with symptoms and signs of various respiratory diseases who underwent fibreoptic bronchoscopy. Diagnostic accuracy of various samples alone and in combination were analysed. Results: Sensitivity of BAL-24%, TBNA 64% and FB 66%. Addition of BAL to FB increased the sensitivity to 69%. Addition of BAL to TBNA increased the sensitivity to 70%. Sensitivity of cytological methods (FB and TBNA) 90%. Addition of both BAL and TBNA to FB increased overall senstivity to 93%. FB the most specific amongst the three techniques with specificity of 94% followed by TBNA (59.4%) and BAL (50%). Conclusions: There are variable results regarding diagnostic yields and utilities of various fibre-optic bronchoscope aided cytohistological techniques but there combination adds the yields. Thus a combination of various cytohistological samples should be taken in a patient undergoing fiberoptic bronchoscopic examination to increase the diagnostic yield, to cut short the diagnostic time and early start of treatment.

Background: Epidermal inclusion cyst (EIC) is a rare benign condition of breast. Patient presents with palpable breast lump and needs to be differentiated from other breast lesions. This study included cases of epidermal inclusion cyst of breast (EICB) diagnosed on fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and their correlation with histopathological findings. Methods: Study was conducted in a retrospective manner over a period of 2 years. 8 Patients who presented with breast lump and were cytologically diagnosed as EIC were included in the study. Cytological features were suggestive of EIC or infective EICB. Histopathological confirmation was done. Female: Male ratio in the study was 7:1 with an age range of 35 to 54 years. Radiological investigations favoured benign lesions in 5 cases and tubercular collection in one case. Results: FNAC was performed and May-Grunwald-Giemsa stained smears showed numerous anucleate squames and mature squamous epithelial cells in a clean or inflammatory background. Diagnosis of EICB or infective EICB was made on cytology. Diagnosis was confirmed histologically in 6 cases. Conclusions: Asymptomatic lesions do not require biopsy and treatment. Follow-up is sufficient if typical clinical and radiological findings are there. But in symptomatic cases, excision should be done followed by histopathological confirmation to rule out malignant lesion. Diagnosis should be made on FNA whenever associated with characteristic pultaceous aspirate and cytological findings.