Abstract

Material from the female genital tract can be obtained for cytological study in various ways, the choice depending on the information required. For hormone assessment,¹ a scrape of the upper third of the lateral vaginal wall or aspiration of the posterior fornix is preferred; for cervical cancer diagnosis,² visual inspection of the cervix and a 360° scrape round the cervical os at the squamo-columnar junction; for endometrial cancer diagnosis, endocervical or endometrial cavity aspiration.