[Trichomonas vaginalis and cytological findings (author's transl)]

The detection of Trichomonas vaginalis by the method of the Papanicolaou smear has proven as suitable. Alterations of surface cells in the presence of Trichomonas vaginalis are described, and causal relations between atypic cells and Trichomonas vaginalis are discussed. From a total of 13000 in investigations of cancer screening in 1975, an infection with Trichomonas vaginalis was found in 850 cases = 6,69 p.c. In contrast to this result 28 p.c. of the 116 patients with cancer of precancer of the cervix uteri had a simultaneous infection with Trichomonas vaginalis. These results suggest the possibility of a relationship between the incidence of Trichomonas vaginalis and atypic cell alterations. Therefore it is necessary for the cytologist to search for Trichomonas vaginalis in cancer-screenings and to inform the gynaecologist in case of a positive finding. All exact posttherapeutic control is indicated to find out the presence of a potentially malignant atypia of cells or of reversible reactive cell alterations.