title: Cellular differences between true negative and false negative Papanicolaou smears.
abstract: A matched case-control study of 123 false negative Papanicolaou smears and 488 true negative Papanicolaou smears was undertaken to determine the association between the types of cells present on the smear and the correctness of the cytology report. The false negative slides were significantly more likely to include endocervical columnar cells than the true negative slides (odds ratio 1.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.21-3.01). No statistically significant difference in metaplastic cell status was evident (odds ratio 1.48, 95% CI 0.95-2.30). When considered together, metaplastic and/or columnar cells were significantly more likely to be present in false negative smears than in true negative smears (odds ratio 1.87, 95% CI 1.13-3.08). The implications of these findings for improving the accuracy of cervical cytology for the detection of precancerous lesions are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Victorian Cytology Service, Carlton South, Australia.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Medley
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004727:Endothelium / Q000166:cytology; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008679:Metaplasia; D015588:Observer Variation; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D014621:Vagina / Q000166:cytology* / Q000473:pathology*; D014626:Vaginal Smears