THE CYTOLOGICAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AMNIOTIC FLUIDS OF MALE AND FEMALE FETUSES

Summary Counts of cyanophilic squamous cells in 48 specimens of amniotic fluid obtained during the last three months of pregnancy gave the correct diagnosis of the sex of the fetus in every case. It is confirmed that the fetal genital tract is the source of a considerable exfoliation of cyanophilic squamous cells. Counts of total cells per mm3 on 38 specimens showed that amniotic fluid from female fetuses contains on average significantly more cells than amniotic fluid from male fetuses at any one week of gestation. The cytological sex difference should be taken into consideration in the interpretation of differential cell count estimations of fetal maturity.