Improved endocervical cell yield with Cytobrush.

A prospective study of 402 Papanicolaou smears was done comparing the effectiveness of three techniques in obtaining endocervical cells. The Zelsmyr Cytobrush cell collector yielded the greatest concentration of endocervical cells. More than one half (53.6 percent) of all cell samples obtained with the Zelsmyr Cytobrush produced "moderate" or "large" concentrations. The extended-tip spatula and cotton-tip swab techniques produced only 38.5 percent and 24.2 percent, respectively, in these categories. The Zelsmyr Cytobrush cell collector is an effective instrument, yielding increased numbers of endocervical cells on Papanicolaou smear.