Abstract
Vaginal smear preparations from normally or abnormally pregnant women were stained by Papanicolaou's technique and examined microscopically. The results obtained are summarized as follows:
1) In normal pregnan cy the smear pattern was inconstant during the first three months. After the fourth month of pregnancy the vaginal smear was characterized by a great preponderance of intermediate cells, presence of a considerable number of navicular cells, curling of the cytoplasm and clumping of cells.
2) Near the end of term, the smear lost th e above-mentioned characteristics and superficial cells increased in number. Since this change of smear pattern was closely related to the onset of parturition, the prediction of labor became possible by the examination of smears. The smear pattern had also an intimate bearing on the success of labor induction.
3) Patie nts with threatened abortion caused by endocrine disorders showed an abnormal smear pattern with a decrease in the number of intermediate cells, especially of navicular cells, an increase in the number of superficial cells and less clumping of cells. In every case treated effectively, the smear pattern returned to normal.
4) Smear patterns in ectopic pregnancy were classifiedi into the following three types.
a. Early estrogenic pattern
b. Threatened abortion pattern
c. Normal pregnancy pat tern
The difference in pattern seemed to be related to the time after the abortion rather than to the site of implantation.
5) During the puerperal period, cells in the vaginal smear showed an atrophic picture due to a drastic decrease of hormones. The smear was characterized by the appearance of parabasal cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm. Duration of the period with the atrophic figure was longer in breast feeding mothers than in bottle feeding ones.
6) Measurements of estrogen in the urine during pregnancy revealed that it was excreted in an increasing amount up to the end of term. In cases of abnormal pregnancy the estrogen level was kept low.
