https://medrech.com/index.php/medrech <p style="text-align: justify;"><code></code><strong>Medico Research Chronicles (Medrech) ISSN No. 2394-3971</strong>, as the official journal of Medico Edge Publications, serves as a catalyst for advancing medical and health sciences. With its commitment to excellence, the journal invites diverse manuscripts that contribute to the ever-evolving landscape of medical, health science, and clinical research. Through its rigorous peer review process, open-access policy, and timely publication, Medico Research Chronicles continues to be a trusted platform for researchers and practitioners, driving innovation and shaping the future of healthcare.</p> <p>Indexed by the&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/?term=Medico+Research+chronicles"><strong>United States'&nbsp;NLM Catalogue, NCBI</strong></a></p> <p><strong><a href="https://journals.indexcopernicus.com/search/details?id=31567&amp;lang=pl">Index Copernicus</a>, </strong>Medico Research Chronicles, the esteemed journal of Medico Edge Publications, has received a positive evaluation from Index Copernicus, Poland for the year 2021. With an impressive IC Value of 84.43, the journal reaffirms its position as a reputable platform for groundbreaking research in the field of medical and health sciences. This recognition underscores the journal's commitment to scientific excellence and its significant contribution to advancing healthcare knowledge. Researchers and practitioners can rely on Medico Research Chronicles as a trusted source of innovative research findings.</p> <p><strong>Academicians and Researchers interested in reviewing the article are requested to join us on Publons: <a title="Publons by Web of Science" href="https://publons.com/journal/102220/medico-research-chronicles/">https://publons.com/journal/102220/medico-research-chronicles/</a></strong></p> <p><strong><a href="https://www.nmc.org.in/e-gazette">Click Here </a></strong>for the notification details.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> Medico Edge Publications en-US Medico Research Chronicles 2394-3971 https://medrech.com/index.php/medrech/article/view/723 <p><strong>Objective: </strong>To compare the diagnostic accuracy, practicality, and utility of conventional cytology (CC), liquid-based cytology (LBC), and cell block (CB) techniques in the cytopathological evaluation of pleural aspirates, aiming to determine the most effective method for diagnosing pleural effusion (PE), particularly in distinguishing between benign and malignant conditions.</p> <p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional descriptive study involving sixty-eight patients aged over 18 years with non-traumatic pleural effusion confirmed by clinical evaluation and chest X-ray was conducted at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital from January 31, 2020, to January 31, 2022. Pleural fluid samples were processed using three cytological techniques: CC, LBC, and CB. The slides were evaluated and categorized into five diagnostic categories: non-diagnostic, negative for malignancy, atypia of undetermined significance, suspicious for malignancy, and malignant. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 22.</p> <p><strong>Results: </strong>The study included 40 males (58.8%) and 28 females (41.2%), with a mean age of 51.6 ± 17.12 years. Malignant effusions were observed in 23 patients (33.8%). The CB technique demonstrated superior performance with a sensitivity of 82.6%, specificity of 88.9%, and an accuracy of 1. In contrast, LBC showed a sensitivity of 65.2% and specificity of 55.6%, while CC had the lowest sensitivity (17.4%) and specificity (51.1%). The CB method also achieved the highest negative predictive value (NPV = 1), outperforming LBC (NPV = 0.956) and CC (NPV = 0.852).</p> <p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The CB technique was found to be the most reliable method for the cytopathological evaluation of pleural aspirates, exhibiting the highest sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy. The study highlights the importance of selecting advanced cytological methods such as CB to enhance diagnostic precision in clinical practice, particularly in the differentiation of malignant from benign pleural effusions.</p> Chinyelu Uchenna Ufoaroh Felix Emeka Menkiti Tobechukwu Nduaguba Somadina B Umeano Shirley Nneka Chukwurah Chinedu Onwuka Ndukwe Emeka H Enemuo Sunday P Aneke Chukwudi Onyeaghana Okani Frank Chinedu Akpuaka Victor Ahoma Mbanuzuru Copyright (c) 2024 Chinyelu Uchenna Ufoaroh , Felix Emeka Menkiti, Tobechukwu Nduaguba , Somadina B Umeano , Shirley Nneka Chukwurah , Chinedu Onwuka Ndukwe , Emeka H Enemuo , Sunday P Aneke , Chukwudi Onyeaghana Okani , Frank Chinedu Akpuaka , Victor Ahoma Mbanuzuru 2024-11-13 2024-11-13 11 6 198 207 10.26838/MEDRECH.2024.11.6.735