Cytology of the Endometrium

Use of cytobrush for bacteriological and cytological diagnosis of endometritis in mares

“…Low-volume flushes, CBs, and CSs have been validated for the cytological evaluation of the endometrium in mares [ 4 , 11 , 16 , 17 ]. Moreover, the use of a double-guarded CB has been demonstrated to improve diagnostic accuracy for endometrial cytology in mares and women [ 5 , 8 , 11 , 12 , 21 , 31 ]. Cytological slides prepared immediately after collection had more background, red blood cell contamination, and more intact endometrial and inflammatory cells than LS and PS.…”

“…Cytological slides prepared immediately after collection had more background, red blood cell contamination, and more intact endometrial and inflammatory cells than LS and PS. The presence of mucus and debris, including degenerated neutrophils, destroyed epithelial cells, and inflammatory residue, in the background of cytological samples may indicate a trace of inflammation and has been consistently associated with positive cultures [ 16 , 17 , 31 ]. The use of the novel cytotape technique demonstrated less blood contamination than the samples collected using a CB [ 14 ].…”

“…Considering that the same cytological results were observed in LS and CBS, that is, in samples analyzed with and without previous immersion in enrichment broth, the bacteriological procedures can be assumed not to be responsible for different cellularity. In this case, the centrifugation and long-term immersion of the CB into a sterile solution could cause the degradation and rupture of cells [ 16 ], even though the chosen transport time (<6 h) and centrifugation methods (400× g for 10 min) align with the technique described for low-volume flush [ 4 , 30 , 31 ]. Specifically, samples were processed within 6 h since saline does not preserve bacteria effectively [ 30 ].…”