Study of a manual method of liquid-based cervical cytology.

We report a study of a manual liquid-based cytology (MLBC) method. Slides are prepared by using a polymer solution and allowing it to dry, forming a membrane. The aims of the study were to prepare cervical cytology smears using the manual method, observe morphology, compare with direct scrape smears and correlate with histopathology wherever possible. Out of 105 cases, the membrane was intact, indicating a good MLBC preparation, in 97 cases. Simultaneous conventional smears were taken in 81 patients. There was an 88.8% agreement in the diagnoses of general category in both groups. The diagnosis of negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy (NILM) in both groups was made in 70 cases. The MLBC preparation was unsatisfactory in two cases which showed high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion and low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, respectively, on the conventional smear. One MLBC smear diagnosed as atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance was reported as NILM on conventional smear. Cytohistologic correlation was done in nine cases, all of which showed cervicitis on histopathology. The MLBC method was found to be comparable to the conventional scrape smear. Further study of this method as a cost-effective alternative to the mechanized methods would be worthwhile.