title: Cytodiagnosis of Candida organisms in cervical smears.
abstract: Cervical smears and cervical scrapings cultured on Sabouraud agar from 31 women suspected of having Candida genital infections were examined in a study of the cytomorphology of this fungal infection in cervical smears. Of the 31 samples, 20 (64.5%) grew C. albicans in culture. One sample (3.2%) grew C. paratropicalis, 2 (6.4%) grew mixed C. albicans and Torulopsis glabrata and 2 (6.4%) grew T. glabrata alone. Of the 25 fungus-positive samples, 20 (80%) had fungus-positive cervical smears and 5 (20%) had fungus-negative smears. There was no instance in which the cervical smear was positive but the culture was negative. Among the cases positive for C. albicans, organisms occurred in two forms: pseudohyphae without blastospores (29.4%) and pseudohyphae with blastospores (70.6%). T. glabrata was present in the smears as budding and nonbudding yeasts. Although the sensitivity of the cervical smear in detecting fungus in culture-positive patients was only 80%, the cervical smear can still be a useful means of rapid identification of C. albicans when blastospores and pseudomycelium are present. The presence of budding or nonbudding yeast without pseudohyphae should strongly suggest a T. glabrata infection.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Siapco
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Bernstein
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Moyer
mesh_terms: D002177:Candidiasis / Q000382:microbiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011786:Quality Control; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000379:methods; D014627:Vaginitis / Q000382:microbiology*