title: Endobrush sampling for endometrial cancer.
abstract: The two intra-uterine cytological sampling methods Endobrush and Pistolet were compared for clinical applicability in 66 premenopausal and 47 postmenopausal women. The taking of the specimens succeeded in 94% of the cases with the Endobrush method and in 99% with the Pistolet method. The two intra-uterine sampling methods were both almost painless. The Endobrush and the Pistolet specimens were filtered and stained by the Papanicolaou method. The Endobrush specimens were also used to make smears, which were also stained by the Pap method. According to the separate evaluations of two cytologists the Endobrush smear yielded specimens with a large or moderate number of cells in 59.0 to 71.4%, the Endobrush filter method in 73.6 to 76.5% and the Pistolet filter method in 71.4 to 76.8%. Specimens with good or moderate quality were found in 83.3%, 86.8 to 89.6% and 93.7 to 99.1%, respectively. Unsatisfactory specimens accounted for only 2.8-0.9% of the cases. All four endometrial carcinomas were placed in Pap classes 3 to 5 on the basis of the Endobrush and Pistolet filter specimens. The diagnostic quality of the smears was inferior to that of the filter specimens. The results suggest that the Endobrush filter method yields cytological endometrial samples which are similar in cell number, quality and diagnostic value to those obtained by the Pistolet method. Endobrush method is also simple, quick and painless, and therefore well acceptable to patients and suitable for clinical use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Central Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vuopala
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Klemi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mäenpää
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Salmi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mäkäräinen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003581:Cytodiagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014619:Vacuum Curettage / Q000295:instrumentation; D014626:Vaginal Smears