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Comparison of Routine PAP, Modified Ultrafast PAP (MUFP), and REAP Staining Techniques for Oral Cytosmears
Swatantra Patel1, Himanta Ghritlahare2, Rashmi Christin Kerketta2
1Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Bhabha College of Dental Sciences, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Background:
Routine Papanicolaou (PAP) stain is a commonly adopted cytological method of diagnosing lesions of the oral piece, but it suffers drawbacks on the issue of time, cost, and reagents consumed. Faster and cheaper alternatives have been suggested, which are modified ultrafast PAP (MUFP) and rapid economic acetic Papanicolaou (REAP).
Purpose:
The aim of the study was to evaluate the quality of staining, staining efficiency, and cost-effects of PAP, MUFP, and REAP staining techniques in the oral cytology and to know which one offers the best overall diagnostic advantage.
Materials And Methods:
The experiments were carried out on 30 volunteers; none had any oral pathology or a history of smoking. Each volunteer gave three smears. There was PAP-stained, MUFP-stained, and REAP-stained one. Cell morphology and staining in general were assessed by three independent observers. It was measured in time and cost. Statistical tests (Chi-square) were carried out to identify statistical differences.
Results:
Most observers found the quality of cell morphology stains to be unchanged among three approaches, showing no statistically significant difference. Nonetheless, MUFP was much better in overall quality of staining and proved to be the most time- and cost-effective one.
Conclusion:
MUFP and REAP stain with similar or even higher quality than PAP conventional and will be better suited in cases where there is an urgency of staining and where economy staining is necessary in a clinical environment.
