[Methodical investigations for quantitative image analysis on cells of the female genital tract (author's transl)]

An earlier published [8] image analysis system for cytology is tested on gynecological material. At first the question for the staining method which is optimal for scanning-photometrical measurements is investigated. In addition the wavelength of the light which reproduces best the nuclear structure must be found. Feulgen-stained preparations scanned at 570nm allow a more secure sorting of superficial cells against intermediary cells than those in the classical Papanicolaou-stain at white light. Discoloring of Papanicolaou-preparations and Feulgen staining afterwards was accomplished without technical problems and there were not detectable any qualitative differences with directly Feulgen-stained preparations by means of image analysis. With this method it is possible to recognize structural changes in nuclei of vaginal epithelium during cell differentation.