Aspiration cytology and E2 content in ovarian tumors.

This study demonstrates the reasonable reliability of fine needle aspiration cytology in ovarian tumors: 91% of benign and 84.5% of malignant tumors were diagnosed correctly by aspiration cytology. The concentration of estradiol-17 beta in cyst fluid may be helpful in distinguishing follicle cysts from neoplastic cysts. Cytologic differentiation of aspirated ovarian tumors was reasonably accurate. With respect to the approximately 1.6% of severe pelvic inflammations in our patients, we suggest that there are few indications for the use of aspiration cytology in ovarian tumors. In spite of a worldwide trend towards cytologic diagnoses by means of aspiration biopsy, there are still few studies on the aspiration biopsy of ovarian tumors. This is surprising because fine needle puncture of ovarian tumors is neither more trouble-some nor more complicated than the well-established cytologic biopsy of the prostate. This paper reports on the reliability of this method and its capability in the differentiation of various types of ovarian tumors. The differentiation of ovarian cysts is of particular interest.