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ThinPrep versus conventional Papanicolaou smear in the cytologic follow‐up of women with equivocal cervical smears
Author(s) -
Negri Giovanni,
Menia Erica,
EgarterVigl Eduard,
Vittadello Fabio,
Mian Christine
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
cancer cytopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/cncr.11856
Subject(s) - medicine , papanicolaou stain , cytology , papanicolaou test , squamous intraepithelial lesion , cervical intraepithelial neoplasia , cervical cancer , cytopathology , bethesda system , pathology , cancer , gynecology
BACKGROUND The purpose of the current study was to compare the efficacy of liquid‐based cytology and conventional smears in the cytologic follow‐up of cases with “atypical squamous cells, cannot exclude a high‐grade lesion” (ASC‐H) or “atypical glandular cells” (AGC). METHODS Cytologic follow‐up was performed on 214 cases with ASC‐H/AGC diagnosis an conventional smears using either ThinPrep ( n = 100) or conventional Papanicoloau (Pap) tests ( n = 114). Results were then compared with further histologic and/or cytologic follow‐up. RESULTS Repetition on conventional smears enabled a definite diagnosis (within normal limits [WNL], squamous intraepithelial lesion [SIL] or carcinoma) in 58 cases (50.9%). ASC/AGC was confirmed in 50 cases (43.9%), and 6 of the smears (5.3%) were inadequate. WNL, SIL, or carcinoma was diagnosed in 82 (82.0%) cases by following the patients with ThinPrep cytology, whereas ASC or AGC was confirmed in 18 cases (18.0%). No inadequate specimens were found. A diagnosis of SIL or greater (SIL +) was confirmed histologically in 11 of 11 (100.0%) conventional smears and in 31 of 34 (91.2%) ThinPrep specimens. Of the 87 WNL specimens, 9 (8 conventional smears and 1 ThinPrep specimen) developed a histologically confirmed SIL during further follow‐up. Specimen adequacy was significantly better in the ThinPrep specimens compared with conventional smears. CONCLUSIONS Because of better specimen adequacy, ThinPrep cervical cytology appears to significantly reduce the occurrence of ASC/AGC compared with conventional Pap smears. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2003;99:342–5. © 2003 American Cancer Society.