Methods for early diagnosis of oral tumors : cytology

Abstract

Notwithstanding the pioneer work of Beale (1860-61), Walshe (1843), Daniel and Babes (Babes, 1963) and Dudgeon (Bamforth, 1963), the development of exfoliative cytology as a diagnostic aid is attributed chiefly to Papanicolaou (Papanicolaou and Traut, 1941). His long careful studies established the reliability of exfoliative cytology and it is now used extensively in the early diagnosis of malignant and premalignant lesions of many sites in the body. Its role in the diagnosis of carcinoma of the oral cavity is being evaluated (J olley and Smith, 1965; Sandler, 1963) and its historical background has been reviewed by Haam (1965). Oral exfoliative cytology is applicable to various clinical conditions such as benign lesions that would not normally have been submitted to biopsy, lesions requiring repeated examinations, widespread lesions from which comprehensive sampling cannot be made by biopsy, persistent lesions after surgery or radiotherapy and in mass population screening. It also has a definite place in the diagnosis and management of many non- neoplastic diseases of the oral mucosa (Camilleri and Lange, 1966).