Aim: To compare sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of bronchial brushing (BB) and transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) cytology in diagnosing lung cancer and to correlate and compare them with corresponding histopathology. Introduction: Lung cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide in both genders. Various cytological techniques such as BB and aspirate, TBNA, bronchoalveolar lavage, transthoracic and pleural puncture can aid in early diagnosis of lung malignancies. Material and Methods: One-year retrospective study included 359 patients with suspected lung cancer who underwent bronchoscopy. During bronchoscopy, cytopathological samples were obtained for smears using BB and TBNA as well as biopsy for histopathological examination that was considered the  gold standard .  All the samples were microscopically examined and statistically analyzed using descriptive methods and non-parametric Kendal-tau correlation coefficient (the level of significance p<0.05). Results: Sensitivity of BB and TBNA cytology comparing to histopathology was 97.17% and 98.32% respectively whereas specificity was 97.26% and 97.75 % respectively. Positive predictive value was 97.14% in BB and 99.66% in TBNA and negative predictive value was 93.23% in BB and 98.77% in TBNA. The accuracy of BB was 96.51% and 99.14% of TBNA cytology. Discordance of BB cytological and histopathological diagnosis was in 3.21%, whereas discordance of TBNA was in 2.03% cases. There was no statistically significant difference neither between BB (p=0.550) nor between TBNA (p=0.602) cytology and histopathological diagnosis. Conclusion: Cytology is valuable and useful in establishing lung cancer diagnosis, which yields almost the same information as histopathology no matter which method of cytological sampling is used.

Aim: Reporting of autopsy case of fatal accidental poisoning by colchicine from meadow saffron. Introduction: Meadow saffron (Colchicum autumnale) is a perennial herbaceous plant similar to the edible wild garlic (Allium ursinum). Toxic substance in meadow saffron is alcaloid colchicine. Colchicine poisoning is a very dangerous condition, which can lead to fatal outcome. Case report: A 50-years-old male was admitted to the hospital complaining of weakness, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea without blood. Day before he ate two plants thinking they’re wild garlic and seven hours after ingestion he felt first symptoms. During the course of the hospital stay, he had gastroenterocolitis, acute renal failure, hepatic lesion and cardiorespiratory insufficiency with fatal outcome. Post-mortem examination reveled:brain oedema, lung oedema and congestion, heart weighing 700 grams, ventricular hypertrophy, myocardial fibrosis, liver congestion and steatosis, spleen congestion, pancreatic fibrosis. Organs sections were taken for pathohistological analysis. Body fluids and parts of organs were toxicologically analyzed. Pathohistological findings:brain oedema, diffuse perivascular and interstitial myocardial fibrosis, myocardial haemorrhage, lungs congestion and edema, micro- and macrovesicular liver steatosis, centrilobular liver necrosis, lymphocytic inflammatory infiltrate in liver portions, spleen’s red pulp congestion, kidney congestion and interstitial bleeding, coagulation necrosis of the proximal tubules of the kidney. Toxicological analysis showed colchicine in blood-0.011 mg/L, urine-0.051 mg/L, liver with gallbladder-0.007 mg/ kg, kidney-0.008 mg/kg. Conclusion: Ingestion of the meadow saffron can lead to poisoning with fatal outcome due to colchicine. Colchicine intoxication should be suspected in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms after consuming wild plants.