2007 Volume 46 Issue 5 Pages 262-265
Objective : We studied differences between filter and autosmear methods as related to the degree of fading of urine cytological preparations.
Study Design : We used 10 Papanicolaou staining preparations, seven years after preparations were made and 62 five years after. Each of the 72 urinary specimens was divided in two, and one preparation was made using a filter and the other an autosmear. We observed the degree of fading of urothelial cells, classified into three, (-) : no fading, (+) : fading of cytoplasm, and mild fading of nucleus, and (2+) : fading both cytoplasm and nucleus.
Results : No fading was observed in any preparations made by the filter method.
Urothelial cells in preparations at five years after those made by autosmear (A) method showed (-) : 18/62 (29%), (+) : 29/62 (47%), (2+) : 15/62 (24%), and at seven years, (-) : 1/10 (10%), (+) : 5/10 (50%), (2+) : 4/10 (40%).
Conclusions : Preparations made by the filter method showed no fading, presumably due to using a specific technique protecting preparations from exposure to sunlight. The filter method is thus useful for observing urine preparations made in the past.
