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Correspondence: comparison of Giemsa‐stained smear with Papanicolaou‐stained smears of the same specimen

We would like to report to readers brief details of a study of 988 cytology specimens (lymph nodes, thyroid gland, lung, stomach, liver and pleura) processed by both Giemsa and Papanicolaou staining techniques. We evaluated several criteria including cellularity, nuclear preservation, cytoplasmic features, background and ability to make a definitive diagnosis on a 0-3+ scale, in order to compare both staining methods. Statistical analysis of the results was performed utilizing the paired t-test. In our study, the lowest scores were assigned to Papanicolaou-stained smears of lymph node, thyroid and lung aspirates and lymphocyte-rich effusions, indicating that overall Giemsa staining is a more suitable stain for routine use in cytological practice. We found that Giemsa staining: (i) avoids problems of hation, cell loss and shrinking of the cells; (ii) is a one-step method in contrast to the rather complicated Papanicolaou technique; (iii) provides cytoplasmic details useful for diagnosis; (iv) gives a less transparent nuclear pattern than Papanicolaou-stained smears, although the non-staining of euchromatin can be a limitation; (v) allows background (bacteria, mucin, myxoid material, amyloid, lymphoglandular bodies) to be assessed; (vi) does not lead to eye strain and fatigue. Our results indicate that the Giemsa stain is superior to Papanicolaou staining for general use, and we strongly recommend it for all types of cytological samples. In view of our findings, we do not think that the claim by Boon et a1.'32 that choosing a colour combination is a matter of taste for the staff of the laboratory is justified.