Premalignant Epithelial Changes in the Uterine Cervix of Women Aged Less Than Thirty with Special Emphasis on the Coexistent Condylomatous Lesions

Abstract

One hundred and sixty two women aged less than 30 years with either a dysplastic change or carcinoma in situ of the squamous epithelium of the uterine cervix were histologically assessed with special emphasis on the detection of the recently described condylomatous lesions (the flat, inverted and the papillomatous ones) caused by human papilloma virus (PHV). A total of 134 condylomatous (CO) lesions were -- discovered, the flat type being the most frequent one (75.4%) followed in decreasing order of frequency by therted (14.2%) and the papillomatous condylomas (10.40/o). The classical papillomatous cbndylomas were characteristically associated with mild dysplasias, while the flat and inverted'ones were more common in of the more severe epithelial atypias. All the patients under 20 showed CO changes associated with their atypias which was interpreted to indicate that the coexistent condyloma infection accelerates the development of these lesions. The clinical behaviour of the epithelial atypias studied was consonant with that of cervic al dysplasia s in general in the sense that the severity of the atypia increased with the advancing age of the patients. The possible role of HPV, the etiologic agent of the condylomas, in the development of uterine cervical carinoma was discussed in the light of the present observations, and the conclusion was drawn that this might be the agent responsible for, contributing to the evolvement of this cancer.