TY - JOUR T1 - Observer variability in histopathological reporting of malignant bronchial biopsy specimens. JF - Journal of Clinical Pathology JO - J Clin Pathol SP - 711 LP - 713 DO - 10.1136/jcp.47.8.711 VL - 47 IS - 8 AU - R A Burnett AU - J Swanson Beck AU - S R Howatson AU - F D Lee AU - A M Lessells AU - K M McLaren AU - S Ogston AU - A J Robertson AU - J G Simpson AU - G D Smith Y1 - 1994/08/01 UR - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/47/8/711.abstract N2 - AIMS--To evaluate the ability of histopathologists to classify lung carcinomas on bronchial biopsy material using the current World Health Organisation (WHO) classification. METHODS--Eleven histopathologists each reviewed 100 randomly selected bronchial biopsy specimens which had originally been reported as showing lung carcinoma. A single haematoxylin and eosin stained section from each case was circulated and a standard proforma completed. These were analysed using kappa statistics. RESULTS--The histopathologists were excellent at distinguishing between small cell and non-small-cell carcinoma kappa = 0.86), but not so good at subclassifying the non-small cell carcinoma group kappa = 0.25). CONCLUSIONS--The clinically important distinction between small cell and non-small cell carcinoma of the lung is reliably made by competent histopathologists even on limited material. ER -