Chronic radiation effects: a correlative study of smears and biopsies from the cervix and vagina.

Cervicovaginal smears and biopsies from patients treated with radiotherapy for cervical carcinoma were examined morphologically and immunochemically to provide information on the tissue derivation of cells characteristic of chronic radiation effect in postirradiation smears. In biopsies, stromal changes, such as fibrosis, vessel changes, and atypical fibroblasts were most common. Ulceration, leucocytic infiltration, multinucleated giant cells, regenerative epithelium, and atypical glandular epithelial cells were also present in some specimens. These changes were reflected in smears collected from the same patients, where multinucleated giant cells, repair cells, and large atypical cells were often present. Correlation of smears and biopsies suggest that repair cells are collected from areas of epithelial regeneration and glandular radiation atypia. Sampling of ulcerative or eroded tissue may produce smears with multinucleated giant cells, atypical stromal cells, endothelial cells, and numerous macrophages. Correct recognition of these cell types and smear patterns may assist in avoiding false positive diagnoses.