Specimen Requirements

Preferred: Scraping

Specimen Type: Lesion

Container/Tube: Container with Cytolyt fixative

Specimen Volume: Adequate sampling

Collection Instructions:

1. Firmly scrape area of lesion with tongue depressor.
2. Place tongue depressor into container with Cytolyt fixative and gently agitate to dislodge cellular material.

3. Label container with patient’s name (first and last), date of birth, date and time of collection, and source of specimen.

Alternate: Smears

Specimen Type: Lesion

Container/Tube: Slides

Specimen Volume: Adequate sampling

Collection Instructions:

1. Label frosted end of glass slide in pencil with patient’s name (first and last) and date and actual time of collection.

2. Firmly scrape area of lesion with tongue depressor.

3. Rapidly smear cellular material onto a glass slide.

4. Immediately immerse slide in 95% ethanol for 20 minutes to fix.

5. If 95% ethanol is not available, immediately spray fix upon collection.

6. Failure to adequately fix smear renders specimen unacceptable for cytologic evaluation.

7. Place slide in a cardboard slide holder. Do not close holder until slide has dried completely. Specimen may adhere to slide holder or paper filaments may adhere to slides making evaluation difficult.

8. Label slide holder with patient’s name (first and last), date of birth, date and actual time of collection, and source of specimen.