title: The significance of a negative Papanicolaou smear with hyperkeratosis or parakeratosis.
abstract: The significance of a cytologic diagnosis of hyperkeratosis or parakeratosis on a Papanicolaou smear reported as negative is unknown. We conducted a review of 170 women without uterine descensus who presented to Tripler Army Medical Center cervical clinic with a negative Papanicolaou smear but with hyperkeratosis or parakeratosis noted on the slide. All patients underwent colposcopy, and 64% had either cervical punch biopsy or endocervical curettage. Six women (3.5%) had cervical intraepithelial neoplasia documented histopathologically. We conclude that the cellular findings of hyperkeratosis or parakeratosis on a Papanicolaou smear are not associated with an increased histologic or colposcopic detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyazawa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003127:Colposcopy; D003475:Curettage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007642:Keratosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D010241:Parakeratosis / Q000473:pathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D002577:Uterine Cervical Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D014626:Vaginal Smears