title: Acetic acid recovery of gynecologic liquid-based samples of apparent low squamous cellularity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize cervicovaginal cytology samples with < 5,000 squamous cells on the initial ThinPrep slide (Cytyc Corp., Boxborough, Massachusetts, U.S.A) and to attempt sample recovery using acetic acid.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cervicovaginal cytology samples with <5,000 squamous cells on the original ThinPrep slide and residuum were reprocessed by adding 3 mL of 3:1 CytoLyt (Cytyc)/glacial acetic acid with production of a second slide. Both slides were reviewed for squamous cell quantitation and the presence of background material and abnormal cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From a total of 1,833 cases, 147 (8.0%) were identified for reprocessing; 71 (48.3%) were grossly bloody and 58 (39.4%) grossly cloudy. Reprocessing resulted in a second slide with > 5,000 squamous cells in 116 (78.9%) cases and was most effective on cloudy samples (89.7% recovery) and bloody samples (71.8% recovery). Abnormal cells were identified in 13 (8.9%) reprocessed samples. In all but 2 cases the abnormal cells were present on the initial slide and demonstrated the same degree of abnormality as the reprocessed slide but were fewer in number.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acetic acid recovery increases squamous cell recovery when initially inadequate, reducing the number of unsatisfactory cases and in rare cases identifying a cytologically significant lesion not apparent on the original slide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Toronto Medical Laboratories, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dalton
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: MacDonald
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boerner
mesh_terms: D019342:Acetic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D019342:Acetic Acid