Laryngeal cytology brush EndoCDx®

Provides physicians with a practical method of testing non-suspicious tissue in order to help prevent laryngeal cancer. The brush biopsy obtains a transepithelial sample down to the basal layer. This is critical since the basal layer is often the only location of dysplasia or carcinoma. The operator should twirl the brush until a small amount of blood or pinkish tissue is noted to ensure a transepithelial biopsy has been achieved. A smear and cellblock are prepared from the sample and analyzed with the aid of a proprietary high-speed computer. This localizes potentially abnormal cells and cell clusters through a combined morphological, molecular and DNA ploidy analysis. Potentially abnormal cells and cell clusters are selected by the computer for examination on a high-resolution video monitor by a specially trained pathologist who makes the final diagnosis. Brush biopsies have been an excellent surveillance tool for the detection of premalignant and malignant lesions of the oral cavity. In the larynx, such an approach can be used to follow, diagnose, and treat red and white lesions of uncertain behavior. Flexible Method The brush is passed through the channel of the bronchoscope or therapeutic laryngoscope to obtain a specimen, much as a cup biopsy is done through a flexible bronchoscope. The flexible endoscopy technique requires an assistant to twirl the brush against the lesion.