Cervix
Cytology
Preparations
Authors: Nat Pernick, M.D., Marilin Rosa, M.D.
Last author update: 9 April 2019
Last staff update: 10 June 2024
Copyright: 2019-2025, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Cervix cytology preparations full text[sb]
Cite this page: Pernick N, Rosa M. Preparations. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/cervixcytologypreparations.html. Accessed January 10th, 2025.
Diff-Quik stain
Definition / general
Terminology
- An air dried, Giemsa type stain (IHC World: Diff-Quick (Diff-Quik) Staining Protocol [Accessed 9 April 2019], Wikipedia: Diff-Quik [Accessed 9 April 2019])
- Better for background material or to assess adequacy of endocervical smears to detect C. trachomatis (J Clin Microbiol 1996;34:2590)
- Used for fine needle aspirates, not for cervical smears
Terminology
- Also spelled Diff - Quick
Liquid based cytology
Technique
Clinical features
Clinical images
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- Head of spatula, where cells are lodged, is broken off into small glass vial containing preservative fluid or rinsed directly into preservative fluid
- Sample is sent to lab, then spun and treated to remove mucus, pus or other obscuring material
- Random sample of remaining cells is taken and deposited onto a slide
Clinical features
- Reduces number of inadequate smears and need for repeat smears
- Thin Prep appears to be superior to convention Pap test in detecting SIL (Arch Pathol Lab Med 2003;127:200, Arch Pathol Lab Med 1999;123:817, Mod Pathol 1998;11:837)
- Approved by US Food and Drug Administration in May 1996
- Major companies are Hologic (ThinPath) and BD - TriPath (SurePath)
- Can use residual material to prepare cell blocks and for immunohistochemistry (Cancer 2004;102:142)
Clinical images
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Smearing and slide preparation
Papanicolaou (Pap) stain
Definition / general
Clinical images
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Cytology images
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- Multichromatic staining histological technique developed by George Papanikolaou
- Classic form involves five dyes in three solutions (IHC World: Papanicolaou Stain (Pap Stain) Protocol [Accessed 9 April 2019], Wikipedia: Papanicolaou Stain [Accessed 9 April 2019])
- An alcohol dried preparation that produces better nuclear detail than air fixation
- Stains ribosomes blue green, particularly in parabasal cells, mesothelial cells and metaplastic squamous cells
- Stains metabolically inactive cells pink, such as superficial cells
- Stains keratinized cells or thick specimens orange (benign or malignant)
- Must fix smear quickly and stain carefully; air dried smears are inadequate
Clinical images
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Smearing and slide preparation
Procedure for staining
Cytology images
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Conventional
smears: examples
of good cellularity
