The three-group metaphase as a morphologic indicator of high-ploidy cells in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

There is a need for additional morphologic criteria to improve the value of histologic classification for the prediction of the biologic behavior of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). Representative slides from 72 cone specimens containing CIN were examined to study the correlation between the presence of three group metaphases (TGMs), a morphologically well defined and light microscopically readily recognizable atypical mitotic figure, and the incidence of aneuploid cells with a nuclear DNA content greater than 5C. The numbers of cells greater than 5C (minus the polyploid cells 8C +/- 1C) were counted, using LEYTAS image cytometry on Cytospin preparations from the 72 blocks corresponding to the slides searched for TGMs and used for histologic classification of the lesions in classes CIN 1-3.