title: Vegetable cells in Papanicolaou-stained cervical smears.
abstract: Vegetable cells are unusual findings in Papanicolaou-stained cervical smears; these structures could be wrongly mistaken for abnormal human cells, worm eggs, or spores by a cytologist encountering the possibility of meeting those elements in cytological analysis. Five cervicovaginal smears showing similar vegetable cells have been detected over a 3-yr period (2002-2004) in the course of a population screening program for cancer of the uterine cervix in Modena (Italy) involving 32,500 women. According to the clinical histories of the patients, the vaginal pharmaceutical drugs or appliances used were of different types: vaginal lavages, pessaries, and vaginal creams. Following a careful investigation, the only substance that can lead to vegetal elements has been identified as polysaccharide galactomannan, which is one of the excipient present in the drugs used. The authors have identified the origin of these contaminants and the means of pollution, using cytological and pharmaceutical investigation.
authors.affiliation: Integrated Department of Diagnostic and Laboratory Service and Forensic Medicine, Section of Anatomic Pathology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41100 Modena, Italy. rivasi@unimore.it
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rivasi
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tosi
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ruozi
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Curatola
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003581:Cytodiagnosis; D005260:Female; D005690:Galactose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D006801:Humans; D008351:Mannans / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D014675:Vegetables / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D008351:Mannans; C012990:galactomannan; D005690:Galactose