Abstract
Summary
1) Sputum specimens from patients with acute and chronic pulmonary diseases were examined cytologically by the Papanicolaou technic. Certain abnormalities in exfoliated ciliated epithelial cells (ciliocytophthoria) were observed in specimens from a high proportion of individuals with viral respiratory infections; in contrast, ciliocytophthoria was seen only rarely in sputum preparations from patients with acute or chronic pulmonary disease of non-viral etiology. 2) Sputum cytology may prove valuable for prompt differential diagnosis between viral and bacterial respiratory infections.
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