Vaginal cytology; results in 3,000 consecutive women with normal cervices.

Cytologic examination of 9,000 specimens of mucoid material taken from the cervices of 3,000 women who had no clinically observable vaginal abnormality was carried out. Sixteen of them had carcinoma, later proved by tissue examination. In 15 cases the lesion was epidermoid carcinoma of the cervix and in one was adenocarcinoma of the endometrium. Routine use of examination of mucoid specimens easily and painlessly obtained from the vagina should contribute substantially to a lower mortality from pelvic carcinoma.