COMPOSITION OF CERVICAL SMEARS IN PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT A CERVICAL ECTROPION

Aims-To test the hypothesis that absence of squamous cells in cervical smears obtained by an endocervical sampling technique is more promine nt in patients with a cervical ectropion. Methods-Prospective study ex ploring the relation between the composition of cervical smears obtain ed using an endocervical cotton swab in patients with (n=188) and with out (n=341) a cervical ectropion. Subjects were 529 consecutive patien ts from whom a cervical smear was prepared at a university gynaecologi cal clinic. Results-In 7% of the endocervical samples no squamous cell s were found. There was no correlation, however, between the presence or the size of an ectropion and the absence of squamous cells in those samples. Conclusions-It was confirmed that endocervical sampling alon e is insufficient to obtain good quality cervical smears. The presence of an ectropion proved to be an unreliable predictor of the absence o f squamous cells.