A comparison of liquid-based cytology with conventional cytology

To evaluate the 2 methods of cytologic screening to detect abnormalities of the cervical epithelium.

This study with 3 groups of women was performed at Selcuk University Meram Medical School between January 2004 and March 2006. In one group (paired sample for specimen collection) women were screened with conventional cytology; in another group (paired sample for specimen collection) they were screened with liquid-based cytology; and in the third group (split sample for specimen collection) they were screened by both methods.

The rate of unsatisfactory results was lower in the liquid-based than in the conventional cytology group (6.1% vs. 2.6%; P<0.05). More smears containing atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance were detected by the liquid-based method, but the difference was not statistically significant. Also, no statistically significant differences between liquid-based and conventional cytology were observed in the detection of other epithelial abnormalities (P>0.05).

The liquid-based and conventional cytology methods were found to be equivalent in the detection of cervical epithelial abnormalities.