title: Effects of different temperatures for drying cervical mucus smear on their crystallisation pattern: a short report.
abstract: The effects of different room temperatures for drying cervical mucus on crystallisation of fern-tree patterns was determined using cervical mucus smears from 60 women undergoing investigation for infertility at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. Cervical mucus smears were dried in the oven at 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 degrees C and examined rapidly for fern-tree crystallisation patterns decreased significantly in proportion (p < 0.05); they became atypical or were not formed at all. The finding in this study demonstrates that in tropical environments where ambient room temperature may reach 35 degrees C, fern-tree pattern would differ from those in temperate regions.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, P.M.B. 1111, Benin City, Nigeria.
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Onemu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002582:Cervix Mucus / Q000166:cytology*; D003460:Crystallization; D003581:Cytodiagnosis / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011336:Probability; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013696:Temperature; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000379:methods*