Abstract
A study was made of the ceUular features of carcinolna of the uterine cervix in 45 patients with carcinoma in situ, microinvasive carcinoma and definite invasive carcinoma as diagnosed by means of histological examination of removed uterus. The results may be summarized as follows;
1) The number of atypical cells tended to increase with circular extension of the lesion rather than with the depth of invasion.
2) There was no substantial difference in the degree of differentiation of atypical cells between carcinoma in situ and microinvasive carcinoma, although the latter exhibited a slight increasing tendency of small cornified cancer cells.
3) Cellular atypism became more pronounced with the progresion of the lesion. Pyknotic nuclei were more eminent in microinvasive carcinoma than in carcinoma in situ.
4) The N/C ratio was smaller in definite invasive carcinoma than in carcinoma in situ or microinvasive carcinoma, indicating a tendency toward differentiation.
5) No significant difference was present between these 3 types of carcinoma in the number of cancer cell clusters, which appeared to be influenced by the strength of cervical scraping for the collection of smears.
6) The presence of cellular detritus in the background was helpful as an indicator of invasive carcinoma.
