title: Cytologic diagnosis of human papillomavirus infection: spindled nuclei.
abstract: The classic cytologic criteria, koilocytotic atypia and dyskeratocytosis, fail to identify most cases with colposcopic and histologic evidence of cervical condylomata. The purpose of this study was to identify a novel cytologic diagnostic criterion, spindled nuclei, to predict the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection of the cervical epithelium. Review of the hospital records of 100 consecutive cases with spindled nuclei on Papanicolaou smear identified 36 patients in whom a colposcopic examination and/or cervical biopsy had been performed between January 1, 1988, and March 31, 1989. Ninety-seven percent of these 36 cases were positive by colposcopy and 89% of the cases were positive by cervical biopsy for changes of condyloma or intraepithelial neoplasia. HPV DNA hybridization in situ was positive in 16 of 36 patients, and the probe for types 31/33/35 most often stained histologic sections showing condylomatous change without concurrent dysplasia. Electron microscopy of spindled nuclei showed evidence of HPV-type viral particles in the five cases examined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver 80262.
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Shroyer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hosey
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Swanson
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Woodard
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Fennell
mesh_terms: D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology*; D003581:Cytodiagnosis; D015344:DNA Probes, HPV; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D027383:Papillomaviridae; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000473:pathology*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D015344:DNA Probes, HPV