Defontis M, Vaillancourt D, Grand F X
Equine Clinic of the Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Montreal University, Canada.
Tierarztl Prax Ausg G Grosstiere Nutztiere. 2011;39(3):171-5.
This prospective study aims to compare three different sampling techniques for the collection of endometrial cytological specimens in the mare: the guarded culture swab, the uterine cytobrush and the low volume uterine flush.
The study population consisted of six healthy Standardbred mares in dioestrus. In each mare an acute endometritis was induced by performing a low- volume uterine flush 6days after ovulation using a sterile isotonic solution (lactated Ringer's solution or ViGro™ Complete Flush Solution). Two days after initiating inflammation, samples were collected from each mare using the three compared techniques: the double guarded cotton swab, the uterine cytobrush and the low volume uterine flush. The cytological evaluation of the samples was based on following criteria: the quality and cellularity of the samples and the number of neutrophils recovered.
The uterine cytobrush yielded slides of significantly (p=0.02) better quality than the low volume uterine flush. There was no significant difference between the cytobrush and the double guarded swab technique for the quality. There was no difference between techniques in the number of endometrial cells (p=0.55) and neutrophils recovered (p=0.28).
Endometrial cytology is a practical method for the diagnosis of acute endometrial inflammation in the mare. Since no difference in the number of neutrophils was found between the three techniques, the choice of the sampling method should be based on other factors such as practicability, costs and disadvantages of each technique.
本前瞻性研究旨在比较三种不同的采样技术，用于采集母马的子宫内膜细胞学标本：保护型培养拭子、子宫细胞刷和低容量子宫冲洗。
研究对象为6匹处于间情期的健康标准赛马母马。在每匹母马排卵后6天，使用无菌等渗溶液（乳酸林格氏液或ViGro™完全冲洗液）进行低容量子宫冲洗，诱发急性子宫内膜炎。炎症开始两天后，使用三种比较的技术从每匹母马采集样本：双保护棉拭子、子宫细胞刷和低容量子宫冲洗。样本的细胞学评估基于以下标准：样本的质量和细胞数量以及回收的中性粒细胞数量。
子宫细胞刷产生的玻片质量明显（p = 0.02）优于低容量子宫冲洗。细胞刷和双保护拭子技术在质量上没有显著差异。在子宫内膜细胞数量（p = 0.55）和回收的中性粒细胞数量（p = 0.28）方面，各技术之间没有差异。
子宫内膜细胞学是诊断母马急性子宫内膜炎的一种实用方法。由于三种技术在中性粒细胞数量上没有差异，采样方法的选择应基于其他因素，如每种技术的实用性、成本和缺点。
