Study of cervical cytology in papanicolaou smears in a tertiary care center

Background: Cancer cervix is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in developing countries like India most probably due to lack of proper screening facilities in the rural and suburban areas or due to the lack of awareness amongst the women of developing countries. Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the world. Developing countries accounted to about 80% of the global burden. This study was conducted to highlight the importance of Pap smear study in differentiating premalignant and malignant lesions. Materials and methods: This was a prospective study aimed to evaluate all pap smears examined at KGH over a period of 6 months i.e. from December 2016 to May 2017. Detailed clinical data and pap smear cytology reports were obtained and data noted in a structured proforma. All PAP smears reported as per THE BETHESDA System 2014. Women with abnormal smears were followed up by repeat pap smears or acetic acid guided cervical biopsy. Results: Total of 770 pap smears were examined in 6 months duration. Max no. of patients (around 40%) were of 31-40 years age group. Most of the patients (90.77%) were categorized into NILM (negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy). Among the five organisms, we found trichomonas were 38 (4.9%), and candida 38 (4.9%) cases of total NILM cases. Epithelial cell abnormalities in cytological examination were found in total 61 cases constituting 7.92%. Among epithelial cell abnormalities, LSIL was the commonest (27 cases, 3.57%). Conclusions: Cervical cytology by Pap smear is an important tool for early detection of premalignant and malignant lesions of cervix. Regular Pap smear screening should be conducted in vulnerable age group.