Specimen Information

Scrapings of the affected area should be spread on a slide and fixed immediately (within 3 seconds) by spraying with a cytology fixative (Cyto Fix®, Spray Fix®).  Aerosol spray fixative should not be held any closer than 12 inches from the slide, making sure the entire sample is flooded with spray fix. Drying or improper fixation cannot be  permitted as cellular detail is distorted which may render the specimen unsatisfactory for interpretation.  The location of the lesion sampled must be indicated as the normal cytology differs from one area of the oral cavity to another. The accompanying specimen requisition should contain all pertinent clinical information.

An alternative collection method is to collect the oral cavity scraping on a plastic spatula, then rinse the spatula thoroughly in a  ThinPrep® vial, supply #032004, by swirling the spatula vigorously in the vial 10 times. The spatula can then be discarded. Tighten the cap of the vial so that the torque line on the cap passes the torque line on the vial. Label the vial with 2 patient identifiers and submit with a properly completed requisition that contains all pertinent clinical information.