Reliability and accuracy of Urotel test, a device for urinary cytology

Many steps are to be taken before a urinary specimen is cytologically examined. The physician can improve the cytologic results by providing the cytologist with the best possible cellular material collected and fixed in a standardized manner as by using the Urotel test. This is a plastic device prefilled with two fixatives. It means a two-step fixation and spontaneous sedimentation of cells to reduce the amount of liquid for easier and safer transportation from the doctors' offices and hospitals with no cytologic facilities to the diagnosing laboratory. The aim of this study was to obtain an estimate of the accuracy of the Urotel test. Based on 903 patients' first urinary specimen and the original diagnoses, this study indicates that the standardized handling with the device described may increase the possibility for the general practitioner to refer his or her patient, who has an early urothelial malignancy, to the urologist for a quick handling without any delay.