Results of AutoPap system-assisted and manual cytologic screening. A comparison.

Unilab, Tarzana, CA 91356, USA. pwertlake@unilab.com

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of AutoPap QC System rescreening of all qualified negative cervical cytologic smears with selection of approximately 10% for cytotechnologist rescreening as compared to a random selection of 10% of negative cases. STUDY DESIGN: The study included 1,141,913 consecutive smears. In February 1997 an AutoPap-based QC program was implemented to select a population for rescreening. Negative cases were studied prospectively by the AutoPap QC System. Detection rates by diagnostic classification of false negative cases were compared to rates obtained using a randomly selected 10% rescreening of negative cases from the immediately preceding time period. RESULTS: The AutoPap QC System was 5.2-fold more effective for the detection of high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion + false negatives, 2.0-fold for low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, 2.8-fold for atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance and 5.1-fold for atypical glandular cells of undetermined significance. CONCLUSION: In a large reference laboratory a QC program utilizing the AutoPap QC System was significantly more effective in the detection of false negative smears as compared to a QC program utilizing 10% random rescreening of negative smears.

PMID: 9987733 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]