Automated screening of cervical smears using immunocytochemical staining: a possible approach

A preliminary analysis was undertaken to ascertain whether a Leitz TAS (Texture Analyse System) video camera system, which is computer controlled, could be used to detect abnormal cells in cervical smears. Immunocytochemical together with haemalum nuclear staining was used for the epithelial membrane antigen. It was possible to detect abnormal cells in routinely prepared smears taken from patients with various degrees of cervical neoplasia, including the earliest stages, but metaplastic cells were not detected by the system. Smears from patients assessed as normal by routine cytology gave a low incidence of positive results due to occasional overlapping of cells or the presence of air bubbles. This system seems to offer a new possibility for rapid automated cytometry of cervical smears.