title: The significance of moderate and severe inflammation on class I Papanicolaou smear.
abstract: The significance of a cytologic diagnosis of moderate and severe inflammation with a normal (class I) Papanicolaou smear has not been addressed. A retrospective review of 596 consecutive cervical smears performed over 13 months revealed 85 women who had a class I cytologic smear with moderate to severe inflammation. Seventy-eight patients had colposcopic examinations and were considered for this study. Fifty-nine (75.6%) had cervical punch biopsies and/or endocervical biopsies. Of the 78, 19 (24.4%) had cervical condylomata and nine (11.5%) had cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. We conclude that class I cytologic smears with moderate to severe inflammation may be associated with findings of condylomata and cervical dysplasia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Tacoma General Hospital.
authors.forename: T B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Lawley
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kapela
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D003127:Colposcopy; D003218:Condylomata Acuminata / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000473:pathology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D002575:Uterine Cervicitis / Q000473:pathology*; D014626:Vaginal Smears