EVALUATION OF THE PAPNET SYSTEM IN A GENERAL PATHOLOGY SERVICE

Objective: To compare the results of an automated rescreening device ( PAPNET) with manual screening of Papanicolaou (Pap) smears. Design: Al l normal or technically unsatisfactory smears and a random sample of a bnormal smears on manual screening were submitted for PAPNET rescreeni ng. Setting: Large general pathology laboratory in Sydney between Janu ary and September 1995. Results: Of 54 658 PAP smears classified on ma nual screening as normal, 266 were reclassified as abnormal after PAPN ET screening (32 atypical squamous cells of uncertain significance, 21 7 low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and 17 high-grade intraep ithelial lesions). Of the random sample of 1022 smears classified on m anual screening as abnormal, all high-grade intraepithelial lesions (1 22 smears) and squamous cell carcinomas (2 smears) were also detected by PAPNET, and 112 were reclassified as normal by PAPNET (14 atypical squamous cells of uncertain significance and 98 low-grade squamous int raepithelial lesions). Histological follow-up confirmed 15 of the 17 s mears classified as high-grade intraepithelial lesions on PAPNET scree ning and detected a further seven that had been classified by PAPNET a s either atypical squamous cells of uncertain significance or low-grad e squamous intraepithelial lesions. Conclusions: When used as a qualit y-control measure in a general pathology laboratory, the PAPNET automa ted screening system detects higher numbers of abnormal PAP smears tha n manual screening.