Oral Exfoliative Cytology in Case of Leprosy I. Normal Exfoliative Cytology

Exfoliated epithelial cells of oral mucosa of 15 normal healthy individuals were taken as smear specimens from various intraoal areas and their garglings and stained by Papanicolaou technic. Keratinization, degenerative changes, and nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio (N/C) were studied in each smear. 1. A decrease of keratinized epithelial cells was noticed in the order of hard palate, gingiva, base of the tongue and buccal mucosa. 2. In the garglings more non-keratinized and precornified blue and red cells were exfoliated, while fewer keratinized orange cells. 3. Areas of the cytoplasm and nncleus of the exfoliated epithelial cells were mearsured and classified into small, middle, and large cells. 4. The N/C ratio was noticed to show a decrease in th order of small, middle and large cells