[Anal cytology as a screening method for early detection of anal cancer: are hydrophilic cotton smears really unsatisfactory?].

Purpose: To test the ability of analpaps performed with cotton swab smears to produce satisfactory cytologic readings as compared to traditional sampling materials.

Methods: 318 consecutive patients were examined at the Ambulatório Araújo Lima of Hospital Universitario Getúlio Vargas in the Anal Cancer Prevention Week and were sampled for the performance of analpap. 180 of these patients were randomly sorted to be sampled by either one of the following materials: cytologic brush, dacron swab or cotton swab.