Introduction:Most cytology laboratories in all Gulf countries including Oman, use the standard papanicolaou (PAP) method to stain various cytological specimens. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible application of ultrafast PAP (UF-PAP) method in cytology laboratory.Materials and Methods:Samples from 46 patients containing 26 body fluids and 20 fine needle aspirations (FNAs) (9 thyroids and 11 breasts) were collected. Two air dried and two wet smears from each sample were prepared and stained by UF-PAP and the standard PAP stains, respectively. Background, nuclear staining, cell morphology, and overall staining were independently reviewed by two cytoscreeners.Results:In all cases of FNA, UF-PAP stain gave a good score for the background, nuclear staining, cell morphology, and overall staining when compared with the standard PAP method. Although the correct diagnosis was made in all cases of body cavity fluids cases except in one case, UF-PAP stain gave a fewer score in the assessment of body cavity fluid samples.Conclusion:The findings of this study support the use of UF-PAP method in cytology laboratory with a high emphasis on FNA samples.

The accuracy of Papanicolaou (Pap) smear testing can be measured using the cytohistological correlation and discrepancy method. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the cytohistological correlation and discrepancy of the conventional Pap test with the corresponding histopathology and to compare the data with other similar studies. A retrospective study was performed at the pathology department of a referral hospital in Muscat, Oman, over a 5-year period. Of 6000 Pap smears, 162 had matching histopathology results (abnormal smear rate 2.7%) but 10 were unsatisfactory for histological diagnosis. Cytohistological correlation was seen in 96/152 (63.2%), while discrepancy was seen in 56/152 (36.8%). False negatives and false positives were found for 7 and 49 cases respectively. The findings of this study confirm the role of conventional Pap testing as a screening test for the diagnosis of cervical lesion but not for management of patients. In comparison with other studies, we also report a low percentage of abnormal Pap smears. ‫ـه:‬ ‫لـ‬ ‫ـة‬ ‫املقابلـ‬ ‫ـتوباثولوجيا‬ ‫اهليسـ‬ ‫ـن‬ ‫وبـ‬ ‫ـدي‬ ‫التقليـ‬ ‫ـوالو‬ ‫بابانيكـ‬ ‫ـحة‬ ‫مسـ‬ ‫ـار‬ ‫اختبـ‬ ‫ـن‬ ‫بـ‬ ‫ـوي‬ ‫اخللـ‬ ‫ـتولوجي‬ ‫اهليسـ‬ ‫ـن‬ ‫والتبايـ‬ ‫ـق‬

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Human papilloma virus (HPV) and herpes simplex virus (HSV) are common microorganisms investigated in the diagnosis of cervical abnormalities, however other microorganisms have received less attention. This study aimed to identify different microorganisms present in cervical smears as well as to determine the association between those microorganisms and cervical abnormalities. A retrospective study was conducted from January 2008 to December 2012, evaluating the presence of microorganisms in cervical smears. The association between the microorganisms and cervical abnormalities was studied by using the odds ratio and relative risk tests. A total of 7112 cervical smears were analyzed. The mean age of the patients was 39.13 years (range 17 – 80). Bacteria were the most common microorganism but it showed no association with cervical abnormalities. HPV, HSV and Trichomonas vaginalis are the least common but showed a positive association with a relative risk of 16.59, 7.23 and 1.15 respectively. Bacteria and fungi are the most common microorganisms present in cervical smears but they are not associated with cervical abnormalities whereas HPV and HSV are less common but they are associated with cervical abnormalities.