CERVICOVAGINAL CYTOLOGY AND THE DIAGNOSIS OF CHLAMYDIA-TRACHOMATIS - A COMPARISON WITH IMMUNOFLUORESCENT RESULTS

To evaluate the accuracy of a Chlamydia diagnosis in our laboratory, c ytologic Chlamydia diagnoses for the years 1990 and 1991 were compared with immunofluorescent studies for Chlamydia for the same period. Onl y one of 22 cases diagnosed cytologically as suggestive of Chlamydia h ad a positive immunofluorescent result. On rescreen of 110 cervicovagi nal smears taken within 1 mo of a positive fluorescent antibody test, 11 cases were found to contain criteria suggestive of Chlamydia. These correlations represent a 4.5% specificity and 10% sensitivity rate, s uggesting that our current efforts in cytology are not effective in de termining the prescence of Chlamydia. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.