Increase in accuracy of typing of carcinoma of the uterine cervix by combined use of histology and cytology.

Seventy-five cases of carcinoma of the uterine cervix were typed by histologic examination of cervical biopsies and cytologic analysis of cervical smears. A complete agreement in typing by the two methods was seen in 60 cases (80.0%). In eight cases (10.7%) cytologic and in seven cases (9.3%) histologic examination was found to be better for typing. In general, cytology was better in identifying keratinizing carcinomas, while biopsy was better in identifying adenosquamous and adenocarcinomas. It is recommended that the typing of carcinoma of the cervix should be based on the results of both cytology and histology.