Scanning electron microscopy of normal and abnormal exfoliated cervical squamous cells.

The surface ultrastructure of normal, malignant and dyskaryotic exfoliated cervical squamous cells was examined with the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Normal and malignant cells were found to have very similar surfaces to those seen on similar cells in a biopsy specimen. Dyskaryotic cells, however, showed a large range of surface features and dyskaryotic cells that looked identical at light microscopy could be subdivided into three groups by examining their ultrastructural features.