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Abstract Th~ cytoiDgic ~:xaminatlon has been regarded for many years as a highly accurate method able to detect cervical epithelial atypias. In later ye.1rs, however, several authors have reported high rates of false negative c:xarnln::uions (Rubio, 1976). Also false po:.;itive cervical cytology is a kno\vn infrequently discussed cytodiagnostic problem (Feldman et a[., 1977). In cases with borderline lesions (mild and moderate dysplasias) of the uterine cervix, cytomorphology alone is often not sufficient for the early and definite cytologic detection of malignancy. For these cases, nonmorphologic method is needed to distinguish between definitely precancerous or malignant lesions and nonspecific cellular changes in cytologically-similar smears. The methods should be applicable to the original cytologic samples, without the need for repeated smears or further biopsy procedures. Dr\ A cytomctry is generally accepted as a diagnostic aid in doubtful cases, and an aneuploid DNA distribution pattern is widely accepted as an indicator of malignancy (Hocking et al., 1986). For many years. the determination of the D~’A content of cells and tissues has heen feasible, but the task has been tedious. Lately, there has been a resurgence of interest in 0.\TA evaluation in many types of lesions; in an effort to relate diagnosis and prognosis to DNA ploidy. This renders DNA ploidy assessment a clinically useful and cost-effective diagnostic and prognostic test (Wied et al., 1983). Measurement of these DNA content abnormalities on a cell-by-cell basis, often independent of conventional histologic criteria or tumor sta.ge, has been advocated as an important prognostic tool for the assessment of tumor behavior (Wersto, 1988). |