Abstract

In an attempt to elucidate the state of acid mucopolysaccharide of uterine cervix with carcinoma and chronic inflammation, the author examined histochemically 27 cases of the squamous cell carcinoma and 62 cases of chronic cervicitis with erosion, squamous metaplasia or dysplasia. These were obtained by total hysterectomy and biopsy in Busan National University Hospital during the period of 1975 and 1976. By the examination the following results were obtained : 1. In the mucosa of the chronic cervicitis the surface epithelium did not containe acid mucopolysaccharide. 2. In the mucosa of the chronic cervicitis the metaplastic and dysplastic squamous epithelium contained very small to small amount of acid mucopolysaccharide, but the malignant squamous cells did not contain acid mucopolysaccharide. 3. The surface columnar epithelium in the mucosa of the chronic cervicitis contained more large amount of the acid mucopolysaccharide than that of the non-cancerous tissue of the cervical carcinoma. 4. The acid mucopolysaccharide of the glandular epithelium was not significantly different in amount between the mucosa of the chronic cervicitis and the non-cancerous tissue of the cervical carcinoma. On the basis of mentioned above, it may be somewhat helpful to examine the state of acid mucopolysaccharide of the cervical mucosal epithelium in differentiation between the cervical carcinoma and chronic cervicitis with metaplasia or dysplasia.