Cytoprognosis

It was with the praiseworthy object of permitting operation immediately on the appearance of suppurative changes, that certain surgeons suggested a leucocyte count as a means of detecting pus formation at an early stage. Policard and Phélip, and later Policard and Desplas, have given tolerably precise formulæ for this purpose. The cytoprognosis of pleural effusions should be a matter of no difficulty; an initial and progressive increase in the neutrophile polymorphs, which rapidly amount to 80 or 90 per cent. of the total white cells, should be sufficient evidence of the impending transformation of an effusion into pus.

Today one of the most interesting procedures being carried out is cytoprognosis in cervical cancer treated by radiation. In this study, various cytologic changes have been set up as criteria, and radiation response (RR) or sensitization reaction (SR) have been determined. Using this particular method, a prognosis can be made during the first half of treatment.

The appearance of hypertrophic degenerating mesothelial cells did not warrant a favorable response in a single cytologic specimen as they may only be transient. The mesothelial cells alone did not lend themselves to cytoprognosis.