Internal quality assurance in cervical cytology - One laboratory's experience

The results of an internal quality assurance exercise in one cervical cytology laboratory in England are presented, using differing types of partial percentage re-screening of cervical smears. An overall false-negative dyskaryotic rate of up to 4.3% was demonstrated, with the final cytology report diagnosis differing from the primary screening diagnosis in 1.3% of cases. These findings are discussed, with the aim of helping to foster debate on the setting of national laboratory internal quality assurance standards.