Analysis of false negative cytology by a chromosome study

Forty-two cases of pre-invasive and invasive cancer of the cervix diagnosed by histology were studied cytologically and cytogenetically. Preinvasive lesions showed a good correlation between cytologic impression and the histologic diagnosis. However, among 17 patients with invasive cancer, there were 2 completely negative cytologic impressions. These were in cases having modal chromosome counts of 47 and 48, respectively. This study demonstrates that some invasive cancers of the cervix are resistant to cytologic diagnosis because of their peridiploid chromosome counts and lack of anisokaryosis.