[Exfoliative cytology of mixed mesodermal tumors of the uterus--review of cytologic smears sampled prior to therapy].

Nine cases of mixed mesodermal tumor of the uterus were reviewed cytologically. Abnormal cytologic findings were seen in all cases, but malignant cells were detected in only 17 of 30 cytologic smears sampled prior to the therapy (2 of 7 pool smears, 2 of 3 portio rubbing-smears, 6 of 8 endocervical smears and 7 of 12 tumor-rubbing smears). The most commonly encountered cellular components were epithelial malignant cells which showed a close resemblance to those derived from uterine carcinomas, but tended to have multiple nuclei. In other cytologic components, a rhabdomyosarcoma was characterized by large, isolated, round or strap-shaped malignant cells with granular cytoplasms, bizarre and eccentric nuclei and one or more prominent nucleoli. Another infrequent cellular component was a fibrogenic sarcomatous cell which had an illdefined lacy cytoplasm and single or multiple nuclei containing rather finely granular chromatin, and occasionally formed a cluster. In several cytologic specimens, there were also seen multinucleated giant cells which were not in keeping with their histologic origins.