Comparative study on the adequacy of cervical smears using wooden Ayre’s spatula, VS Papcone® sampling device

This is a comparative study on the adequacy of cervical smears obtained using the Papcone® sampling device or wooden Ayre’s spatula conducted from two tertiary health facilities –– Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital Awka, in Anambra State, Nigeria. Slides from smears obtained using both devices were read by a cytopathologist blinded for the study. The primary outcome was the proportion of smears with an adequate endocervical component. Significantly higher adequate cervical smears were obtained in 177/192 (92.2%) women using the Papcone® sampling device, compared to 152/192 (79.2%) using wooden Ayre’s spatula (p < 0.001). Kappa analysis showed moderate inter-rater agreement between the two devices. We recommend the use of the Papcone device when it is available, as the adequacy of cervical smears obtained with the Papcone® was better than that obtained using wooden Ayre’s spatula.