title: Performance of the Cytobrush in patients at risk for cervical pathology: does it add anything to the wooden spatula?
abstract: In 130 high-risk patients for cervical pathology paired smears were obtained with a wooden spatula and a Cytobrush. The Cytobrush was useful in lowering the amount of inadequate smears (2 vs 22%, p less than or equal to 0.01), and detected more abnormal cytology in combination with the spatula compared to the spatula smear alone (27 vs 35%, p less than or equal to 0.05). In 6 cases, adequate false-negative spatula smears, containing endocervical cells, were corrected by the Cytobrush. It is concluded that the Cytobrush is useful in lowering the amount of inadequate smears and false-negative cytology, while there is little evidence of false-positive cytology. The use of the wooden spatula/Cytobrush-combination is recommended in high risk populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Leyenburg Hospital, The Hague, Netherlands.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Van Erp
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Blaschek-Lut
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Arentz
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Trimbos
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000473:pathology*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000295:instrumentation*