Colpocytologic study by ink staining technique for assessing ovulation.

ABSTRACT

Vaginal smears were taken from women who came for artificial insemination using donor’s semen, to assess the time of ovulation. The smears were obtained from the upper 1/3 of the lateral vaginal wall, and immediately placed in a staining bottle containing sheaffer ink sulution. The slides were examined under light microscope, and the eosinophillic index (E.I.) were recorded. The result of the study of 78 cycles demonstrated that 59 in 65 cycles (90.8%) which were evaluated between 3 days before and 2 days following ovulation showed the E.I. over 50. Vaginal smears from 2 normal menstruating women were also examined daily, and the peak of E. I. Was clearly over 50 at the time of ovulation. The E.I. values of this technique were compared to the maturation index which stained by Papanicolaou method, and good correlation was recognized. We concluded that the colpocytologic study ink staining technique is simple, rapid, and inexpensive. It can be used reliably with other methods to assess the time of ovulation.