Columnar and metaplastic cells in vault smears: cytologic and colposcopic study

Vault smears (n = 250) were examined as routine follow up of hysterectomize d individuals. Although the majority of these smears were normal, 14 of the m revealed the presence of columnar cells or metaplastic cells. None of the se patients had any known cause which could account for the presence of the se cells in a post-hysterectomy smear. The possible explanations could be ( i) the common mullerian origin of the upper vaginal mucosal cells, (ii) exf oliated reparative squamous parabasal and basal cells mimicking columnar ce lls, (iii) goblet cell metaplasia in atrophic vaginal epithelium.