Comparison of eosin-thiazin and Papanicolaou-Shorr staining for endometrial cytologies of broodmares. Technical Note.

This research study evaluated and compared the effectiveness of using eosin-thiazin staining versus Papanicolaou-Shorr staining for examining endometrial cytologies in broodmares. The findings suggested that eosin-thiazin staining could be a more efficient method, saving time without compromising the accuracy of the diagnosis.

Methodology

• The study involved 27 broodmares undergoing routine gynaecological examinations.
• A guarded culture swab, known as a Knudsen-catheter, was used to collect samples.
• Two smears were prepared from each collected sample. One was stained using the traditional Papanicolaou-Shorr method and the other with the eosin-thiazin method using Hemacolor.
• The specimines were considered positive for endometritis, an inflammation of the uterus, if they contained more than 0.5% neutrophil granulocytes.
• The study then compared the visibility of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN), the proportion of positive/negative samples, and the PMN contents between the two staining methods.

Results

• In both types of stained smears, PMN were easily identifiable, suggesting both methods are effective for diagnosing endometritis.
• With the Papanicolaou-Shorr staining, 10 out of 27 samples were positive for endometritis (more than 0.5% neutrophil granulocytes), whereas with the eosin-thiazin staining, 12 samples were positive.
• The results from both types of staining corresponded in 25 out of the 27 mares, demonstrating a 95% consistency rate.
• The eosin-thiazin method surpassed the Papanicolaou-Shorr method in two instances, indicating a potential for improved accuracy.

Conclusion

• The results support the use of eosin-thiazin staining as a suitable method for staining endometrial smears in broodmares. This provides a significant time-saving advantage while maintaining accuracy in detecting endometritis.
• Given these benefits, the use of eosin-thiazin staining could make endometrial cytology more appealing for routine stud farm practice.