[The Cytobrush and Ayre spatula in taking cervical-vaginal specimens].

The authors prepare 131 cervicovaginal cytologic specimens with Ayre and Cytobrush spatulas and 94 with only the Ayre spatula and results are tested evaluating the percentage of specimens containing cells from the transformation area. The results of such tests show that the sampling methods with Cytobrush and the Ayre spatulas together is to be preferred to the use of the Ayre spatula alone for the higher presence in these specimen of cells from the transformation area, and consequently with the reduction in the number of tests to be repeated and the increase in the percentage of positive diagnoses and decrease of false negatives.