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A STUDY TO DETERMINE WHETHER THERE IS SIGNIFICANT CELL LOSS ON THE DISCARDED THINPREP BROOM WHEN USED FOR CERVICAL CYTOLOGY
Author(s) -
Umana A.,
Kubba A. A.,
Dunsmore H.,
Kokhan A. R.,
Herbert A.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
cytopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.512
H-Index - 48
eISSN - 1365-2303
pISSN - 0956-5507
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2303.2006.00392_10_3.x
Subject(s) - broom , medicine , cytology , vial , liquid based cytology , gynecology , pathology , cervical cancer , chromatography , biology , cancer , ecology , chemistry
The aims of this study were to find out whether cells could be lost on the discarded ThinPrep (TP) broom. A similar study with SurePath (SP), whose methodology recommends leaving the broom in the vial, showed that cells were lost if the broom was discarded and that the amount was operator dependent. 1 Methods: Three experienced colposcopists (C1, C2 and C3) collected TP samples from 306 women. The broom was rinsed thoroughly in a vial (V1) and then rinsed and retained in a second vial (V2). Slides from each case were randomised as A or B to conceal whether they were from V1 or V2, double‐screened and a cytological diagnosis and cell count recorded for each one. Cells were counted in 10 high‐power fields (HPF) and the cellularity classified as follows: high (HC) > 20 per HPF, intermediate (IC) 10–20 per HPF and low (LC) <10 in order to quantitate the cells potentially discarded in V2. Results: The percentages with high‐grade and low‐grade abnormal cytology decreased with the degree of cellularity of the slide. Abnormal cytology was found in 96/133 (72.2%) of HC, 85/131 (64.9%) of IC and 15/42 (35.7%) of LC in V1 and in 5/8 (62.5%) of HC, 35/54 (64.8%) of IC and 86/244 (35.2%) of LC in V2. The cellularity of V2 was HC or IC in 62/306 (20.3%) and varied between the colposcopists: C1 39/109 (35.8%); C2 20/103 (19.4%); C3 3/94 (3.2%). C1 would have discarded the most cells but had the lowest percentage with LC in V1: 9/109 (8.3%) while the average was 42/306 (13/7%). Abnormal cytology in V2 was also found in V1 in 113/126 (89.1%). Discussion: Abnormal cells would have been discarded with the TP broom and the amount varied between the colposcopists. This finding could have an affect on adequacy of the sample used for routine diagnosis. Reference: 1. Bigras G, Rieder MA, Lambercy J‐M et al. Keeping collecting device in liquid medium is mandatory to ensure optimized liquid‐based cervical cytology sampling. J Lower Genital Tract Dis 2003;7:168–74.