Abstract
This study was conducted to ascertain how routine cervical smear findings could be used to reliably predict endometrial carcinoma and its related lesions. The results are as follows:
1. Of 76 women with endometrial carcinoma, 71 (93.4%) complained of abnormal uterine bleeding, 67 (88.2%) presented clusters of endometrial cells and 44 (57.9%) were positive.
2. Of 15 women with endometrial carcinoma in situ or atypical hyperplasia, 12 (80%) presented clusters of endometrial cells and 5 (33.3%) were suspect or positive.
3. Of 23 women with adenomatous hyperplasia, 15 (65.2 %) presented clusters of endometrial cells and 5 (21.7%) were suspect or positive.
If in the routine cervical smear clusters of endometrial cells are found under low-power microscopy, the nucleoli should be examined under high power. Among endometrial cells with nucleoli, it is possible to differentiate suspect or positive cells from normal or repair cells by observing cell overlap, appearance and checking for anisonucleoli and scanty cytoplasm.
It should be emphasized that the presence of endometrial cells in routine cervical smears of postmenopaused women requires further investigation of the endometrium. This will improve the accuracy of diagnosis of endometrial carcinoma and its related lesions.
