EVALUATION OF PAP SMEARS BY CONVENTIONAL CYTOLOGY AND CORRELATION WITH CLINICAL AND HISTOPATHOLOGICAL FINDINGS

Abstract

Introduction: Cervical cancer is considered preventable, as majority of cancers are preceded by a long-standing precancerous lesion. This lesion may exist in the non-invasive stage for years and shed abnormal cells that can be detected on cytological examination.

Aims: The study was carried out with aim to evaluate cervical smears for epithelial abnormalities and study the relationship of cervical smear findings with clinical features like age, parity, vaginal discharge, lower abdominal pain, backache, postcoital bleeding, infertility, postmenopausal bleeding and also Correlate cervical smear findings with cervical biopsy. Material and methods: All the pap smears received from the gynecology department from 2013 to 2015 were included in the study. In each case, personal information and clinical history were recorded. Correlation with histopathological findings was done in cases where cervical biopsy was available.

Results: The mean age of the women was 31 years. Normal pap smear was reported in 8.33%. The most common finding reported was inflammatory pap smear.(75%) Highest incidence of premalignant lesion (LSIL) was noted in women with parity 5 and above. The most common presenting complaint was discharge per vaginum which was present in 54 (39.13%) cases.  Of the total 60 biopsies, 45 were reported as chronic cervicitis and 11 as LSIL, 2 as HSIL and 2 were normal. Conclusion: This study establishes the importance of conventional cervical Pap smear test in cervical cancer screening for diagnosis of precancerous and cancerous lesions of cervix especially in India where majority of population is rural-based and belong to low socioeconomic group.