HISTOMORPHOMETRY OF NORMAL AND ABNORMAL CERVICAL SAMPLES

We quantitatively studied the nuclear and cytoplasmic characteristics of cells in the normal cervix, squamous intraepithelial lesions (cervi cal intraepithelial neoplasia [CIN]) lesions and cervical human papill omavirus (HPV) infection with and without CIN (condyloma-CIN and condy loma-NCIN groups, respectively). The morphometric features of the deep , middle and superficial layers of the cervical epithelium were calcul ated on 143 cervical samples. The morphometric parameters selected for the analysis were area; perimeter; maximal, minimal and equivalent ci rcle diameters; nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio; and several shape factors. Our quantitative findings support the opinion of other authors that HP V infection is associated with shape and size modifications of the nuc leus and cytoplasm in CIN. In relation to cellular size, there were no differences between a normal cell, regardless of its region, and a vi rus-infected cell. The nuclear differences are predominantly in the de ep layer areas. The CIN samples showed changes in both cellular and nu clear form and size but lacked substantial differences in the tumor gr ades and areas studied. The condyloma-CIN samples revealed more notabl e differences in both tumor grade differentiation and different cellul ar layers.