Abstract

ABSTRACTTo assess the reliability and accuracy of the Papanicolaou smear for the detection of cervical Chlamydia trachomatis infections, we obtained chlamydial cultures and cervical smears from 252 patients attending a gynecologic service during an eight-month time period. In 12 of these patients (4.8%), the cervical culture was positive for chlamydiae but the cytologic smear was negative for chlamydial inclusions. Five smears (2.2%) were cytologically positive for chlamydiae but were negative by culture. In none of the patients were both culture and smear positive for chlamydiae. In our experience the smear was a completely unreliable test for the diagnosis of cervical C trachomatis infections. The cytologic smear should not replace culture for the detection of chlamydial infections.