title: Efficacy of the cytobrush versus the cotton swab in the collection of endocervical cells.
abstract: Cervical smears should contain endocervical cells to be accepted as adequate for a cytologic diagnosis. Before this study was undertaken, one-third of the smears received in the Cytology Laboratory of Odense University Hospital were inadequate. In an attempt to increase the rate of adequate smears, a randomized study was undertaken to compare the efficacy of the combined spatula-Cytobrush method to that of the spatula-cotton swab method traditionally used by doctors in Denmark. The incidence of smears containing cylindrical and/or metaplastic cells was 89% by the spatula-Cytobrush method as compared to 62% by the spatula-cotton swab method (P less than .001). There were large differences between the rates of adequate smears from the various doctors when using the spatula-cotton swab method (range, 14% to 82%); these differences were far less when using the spatula-Cytobrush method (range, 75% to 100%). A large-scale application of the spatula-Cytobrush method should result in fewer repeat smears required and fewer false-negative smears.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Odense University Hospital, Denmark.
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Kristensen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hølund
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grinsted
mesh_terms: D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000473:pathology; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000295:instrumentation*