Association of vaginal smear cytology with menstrual status in XXXX .

@entity1 @entity172 @entity0 @entity6 @entity28 @entity101 @entity5 @entity3202
The relationship of clinically defined menstrual categories and an independent measure of hormonal stimulation, maturation index of vaginal smear cytology, was studied. Analysis of 596 smears obtained at the time of @entity0 diagnosis revealed a statistically significant association between menstrual status and maturation index. However, within each menstrual group varying levels of maturation were noted. Estrogenic effect in the absence of exogenous hormone administration was found in 11% of @entity1 following bilateral oophorectomy and among 24% of @entity1 whose natural menopause occurred 20 years or longer prior to diagnosis. Endogenous @entity172 production appears to continue for many years among some @entity1 . Clinical factors such as @entity28 , @entity6 and/or @entity101 may stimulate high squamous maturation in some @entity1 . Others of the same age and with similar clinical histories were found to have @entity3202 smears. The differences in maturation index may be due to individual variations in: endogenous hormone levels; sensitivity of the vaginal mucosa to similar hormonal stimuli; use of certain medications; or unidentified exogenous factors. The maturation index was found to be significantly associated with the following prognostic factors: weight relative to height, @entity5 size and @entity172 receptor content of the @entity5 . These findings indicate that vaginal smear cytology may define specific subsets within menstrual categories which may be relevant to therapy and prognosis in @entity0 .
