[Chlamydia trachomatis in smears of irradiated uterine cervix: cytologic and immunocytochemical aspects].

Some authors recently suggested the role of Chlamydia trachomatis as a potentiating agent of female genital tract neoplasias. Cervicovaginal smears of women with uterine carcinoma treated with radiotherapy are analyzed in the present work. A series of such smears showed morphological changes suggestive of Chlamydia infection with the Papanicolaou stain. Confirmation of the presence of such agent was done using an avidin-biotin-peroxidase technique. A higher prevalence of Chlamydia in the group of patients with carcinoma of the uterus treated with irradiation than in the population without ionizing treatment was verified. The presence of cells with radiotherapic changes infected by Chlamydia is a new finding in cytology.