Gynecological cytology in complex contexts

Authors

Keywords:

Gynecologic cytology, post-irradiation slides, vaginal atrophy, squamous intraepithelial lesion

Abstract

Introduction: Gynecologic cytology plays a key role in the detection of cervical lesions, but certain conditions—such as post-irradiation changes and atrophic patterns—can mimic intraepithelial lesions and lead to diagnostic errors.

Objective: To describe, using morphological criteria, the differentiation between post-irradiated gynecological cytological slides, extended atrophic slides, and intraepithelial lesions.

Methods: A comparative study was conducted of the cytological characteristics observed in cervicovaginal smears from four groups: women with normal cytology, women with a history of pelvic irradiation, women with atrophic changes, and women with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LGSIL). The samples were evaluated by Pap smear.

Results: This report presents a morphological comparison between slides from irradiated patients, atrophic smears, and samples with low- or high-grade squamous lesions (LSIL/HSIL), emphasizing differences in nuclei, cytoplasm, cellular background, and architectural arrangement. Distinctive signs such as multinucleation and vacuolization in irradiated patients, the predominance of parabasal cells in atrophy, and the presence of koilocytes or syncytial clusters in positive slides are highlighted.

Conclusions: Recognizing these patterns, along with integrating the clinical context, is essential to avoid false positives and improve diagnostic accuracy in cytopathological practice.

Author Biography

Alexander Duràn Flores, Policlínico Hermanos Martínez Tamayo:Baracoa.Guantánamo

Especialistas de Primer Grado en Medicina General Integral

References

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Published

2025-10-27

How to Cite

1.
Durán Flores O, Duràn Flores A, Rodríguez López L. Gynecological cytology in complex contexts. Invest Medicoquir [Internet]. 2025 Oct. 27 [cited 2025 Dec. 27];17(1):e1011. Available from: https://revcimeq.sld.cu/index.php/imq/article/view/1011

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 1 (2025): in progress

Section

Brief communication

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Copyright (c) 2025 Oneidis Durán Flores, Alexander Duràn Flores, Lisbán Rodríguez López

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