Ayre spatula

Ayre spatula

An Ayre spatula is a special type of wooden spatula used in conventional methods of collecting cervical cell samples for cytological examination. It is positioned in the os and rotated twice to collect the sample, while avoiding excessive mucosal bleeding. It is often used in combination with a cytobrush and the collected sample is fixed on a glass slide with cytological fixative.From: Guide to Genital HPV Diseases and Prevention [2019], Searching for an ideal cervical cancer screening model to reduce false-negative errors in a country with high prevalence of cervical cancer [2020]

Screening

View Chapter

Purchase Book

Published in William Bonnez, Guide to Genital HPV Diseases and Prevention, 2019

Eugene P. Toy, Mark H. Stoler

There are two main conventional methods of collecting a sample for cervical cytology. In the conventional method, a special wooden spatula, the Ayre spatula, is positioned in the os and rotated twice, while avoiding excessive mucosal bleeding. The collected material is smeared on a glass slide. To sample the endocervix, one can use a moistened cotton swab, or, better, a cervical brush that is rotated 180°. The collected material is added to the slide, which has to be promptly treated with a cell fixative.

Searching for an ideal cervical cancer screening model to reduce false-negative errors in a country with high prevalence of cervical cancer

View Article

Journal Information

Published in Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2020

Taejong Song, Seok Ju Seong, Seon-Kyung Lee, Byoung-Ryun Kim, Woong Ju, Ki Hyung Kim, Kyehyun Nam, Jae Chul Sim, Tae Jin Kim

Pap cytology was carried out using either conventional smear or liquid-based methods. Conventional smears were carried out using a wooden Ayre spatula in combination with a cytobrush, and each smear was fixed on a glass slide with cytological fixative. Liquid-based cytology samples were prepared by transferring the sampled cells from the cytobrush to the transport solution by firmly rotating and pushing the brush against the vial wall, and were processed in the laboratory according to the manufacturer’s protocol. Then, all cytology slides were stained using the Pap method and classified according to the 2001 Bethesda system. A positive Pap cytology test was defined by the presence of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) or worse.

Explore chapters and articles related to this topic

Screening

Searching for an ideal cervical cancer screening model to reduce false-negative errors in a country with high prevalence of cervical cancer