A COMPARISON OF ORAL AND VAGINAL EPITHELIAL SMEARS

Abstract

-This was a study to ascertain whether or not endocrine changes during the ovarian cycle in women could be determined by oral smears. Twenty-three cases were observed including 1 pregnancy, 1 secondary amenorrhea, 4 normally menstruating cases, a control group of 7, and 10 menopausal cases with orolingual pain. The latter received estrogen therapy prior to the oral and vaginal smears in order to note the changes in both epithelia under estrogenic influence. Oral scrapings were obtained by passing a spatula lightly over the surface of the cheek mucosae and keratinized gingi-vae. Desquamated cells from the vagina were drawn into a glass pipette for vaginal smears. The cells from both areas were fixed in alc.-ether (50-50) on glass slides. Shorr''s staining method was used. The conclusions arrived at were: 1. The oral and vaginal epithelia show parallel changes in degree of cornification during the menstrual cycle, and during estrogenic treatment in deprivation states. Slight hormonal changes are more readily discernible in the vaginal smear than in the oral smear. Consequently, cyclic hormonal changes as seen in the normal menstrual cycle may be better evaluated in the vaginal smear. Estrogen deprivation states produce low cornification in both sets of smears, while the response to estrogenic treatment is more strikingly demonstrated in the vaginal than in the oral smear. The oral smear, despite its technical advantages, cannot replace the vaginal smear as a method of determining hormone levels in [female] [female].