Military Obstetrics & Gynecology. Medical Education Division, Brookside Associates, Ltd. Copyright 2005, All Rights Reserved Slide 1

Prepare a Wet Mount

Michael John Hughey, MDFormer CAPT, MC, USNR

Military Obstetrics & Gynecology. Medical Education Division, Brookside Associates, Ltd. Copyright 2005, All Rights Reserved Slide 2

Obtain a Specimen

• Spatula

• Cotton-tipped Applicator

• Obtain directly or from inside curve of speculum

Military Obstetrics & Gynecology. Medical Education Division, Brookside Associates, Ltd. Copyright 2005, All Rights Reserved Slide 3

Place on Microscope Slide

• Use very small amount

• Too much makes the slide too thick and unreadable

Military Obstetrics & Gynecology. Medical Education Division, Brookside Associates, Ltd. Copyright 2005, All Rights Reserved Slide 4

Add NaCl and KOH

• One drop

• Mix well

• Two slides vs. one slide?

Military Obstetrics & Gynecology. Medical Education Division, Brookside Associates, Ltd. Copyright 2005, All Rights Reserved Slide 5

Add Coverslip

• Remove excess fluid so the coverslip is stable.

• Heat the KOH slide?

Military Obstetrics & Gynecology. Medical Education Division, Brookside Associates, Ltd. Copyright 2005, All Rights Reserved Slide 6

Microscopic Examination

• Start with low power

• Rarely need to go above medium power

• Focus up and down through the plane of the cells

Military Obstetrics & Gynecology. Medical Education Division, Brookside Associates, Ltd. Copyright 2005, All Rights Reserved Slide 7

Yeast

Tangle of threads Single branch

Military Obstetrics & Gynecology. Medical Education Division, Brookside Associates, Ltd. Copyright 2005, All Rights Reserved Slide 8

Trichomonas

• About the same size as a white blood cell

• Smaller than a vaginal epithelial cell

• Violent motion

Military Obstetrics & Gynecology. Medical Education Division, Brookside Associates, Ltd. Copyright 2005, All Rights Reserved Slide 9

Bacterial Vaginosis

• Clue cells

• Vaginal epithelial cells studded with bacteria

• Smudged, granular appearance

• Indistinct borders

Clue Cell

Normal Vaginal Epithelial Cell

Military Obstetrics & Gynecology. Medical Education Division, Brookside Associates, Ltd. Copyright 2005, All Rights Reserved Slide 10