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History

The test was invented by and named after the Greek doctor Georgios Papanikolaou, who started his research in 1923. Aurel Babeș independently made similar discoveries in 1927. However, Babeș' method was radically different from Papanikolaou's.

The Pap test was finally recognized only after a leading article in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1941 by Papanikolaou and Herbert F. Traut, an American gynecologist. A monograph titled Diagnosis of Uterine Cancer by the Vaginal Smear that they published contained drawings of the various cells seen in patients with no disease, inflammatory conditions, and preclinical and clinical carcinoma. The monograph was illustrated by Hashime Murayama, who later became a staff illustrator with the National Geographic Society. Both Papanikolaou and his wife, Andromachi Papanikolaou, dedicated the rest of their lives to teaching the technique to other physicians and laboratory personnel.