Background: The prevalence of thyroid cancer is increasing worldwide. No previous data are available on the prevalence of thyroid cancer in Yemen. We performed this study to determine the prevalence of thyroid cancer among patients with thyroid nodules in Yemen. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed for 550 patients with thyroid nodules who underwent fine needle aspiration and/or thyroid surgery at a private endocrine clinic and at an endocrine clinic in a tertiary hospital in Yemen over a 3-year period from October 2016-2019. The prevalence of thyroid cancer; the sonographic findings, Bethesda classification, age, sex, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels of the patients; and the nodule size and number were reviewed. Results: A total of 550 charts were reviewed [501 females (91.1%) and 49 males (8.9%)]. The thyroid cancer prevalence among the patients was 13.8% (CI = 10.9-16.7), and the mean age of the patients was 38.5 years (SD = 12.2). The TSH level and the rate of cancer were significantly related (P = 0.01), but no significant difference in the prevalence of thyroid cancer was found between females (13.4%) and males (18.4%) (P = 0.334). When correlating the rate of cancer with the ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration (UG-FNA) result, those with Bethesda system category III and IV, V and VI had malignancy rates of 20.8, 27.2, 52.4 and 69.2%, respectively. Thyroid nodules highly suspicious for malignancy on ultrasound had a 70% cancer diagnosis rate. The most common thyroid cancer was papillary cancer (71%), followed by follicular cancer (23.7%). Among those undergoing surgery, 44.2% had thyroid cancer, and 5.2% had a premalignant diagnosis. Conclusion: Thyroid cancer has a higher prevalence in Yemen than in other middle eastern countries. Our study also reports a higher rate of follicular thyroid cancer than that in other published data, which has to be confirmed by further studies. The malignancy and premalignant diagnosis rate was~50% in our patients who underwent surgery. Many centers in Yemen still do not perform FNA before thyroid surgery. It is important that other centers in the country start emphasizing the need for FNA before surgery. This will decrease the number of unnecessary surgeries and associated complications.

Objective: To determine the frequency and pattern of abnormal cervical smear findings among women attending the University of Science and Technology Hospital (USTH) in Sana'a city. Methods: This study is a retrospective, cross-sectional study. Records of women examined by conventional Pap smears in the Histopathology Laboratory of USTH over a 4-year period (from January 2013 to December 2016) were retrieved and analyzed for abnormalities according to the Bethesda system. Results: Of 688 cases, 599 with satisfactory records were analyzed. The mean age of the cases was 39.18±10.23 years (range: 19-75). Epithelial cell abnormalities (ECAs) were found in 47 cases (7.8%), and these were categorized as follows: ASCUS in 4.5% (27/599) of cases followed by atypical glandular cells (AGC) (2.2%; 13/599) and LSIL (0.5%; 3/599), while ASCH and HSIL abnormalities were equally observed among 0.3% (2/599 each) of cases. Of patients positive Pap smear findings, ASCUS was the most frequent type of ECA (57.4%; 27/47) followed by AGC (27.7%; 13/47) and LSIL (6.4%; 3/47), while ASCH and HSIL were the least frequent ECAs among Yemeni patients. ECAs were significantly more prevalent among women aged >40 years (10.8%) compared with those aged <40 years (5.5%). Conclusions: Cervical cytological abnormalities are not uncommon among women in Yemen, where the AGC is frequent among about a third of women with abnormal Pap smear findings and affects women of different ages. This requires more attention and training of doctors to master good sample taking, preparation and diagnosis with a focus on glandular changes.

Objective: To determine the frequency and pattern of abnormal cervical smear findings among women attending the University of Science and Technology Hospital (USTH) in Sana'a city. Methods: This study is a retrospective, cross-sectional study. Records of women examined by conventional Pap smears in the Histopathology Laboratory of USTH over a 4-year period (from January 2013 to December 2016) were retrieved and analyzed for abnormalities according to the Bethesda system. Results: Of 688 cases, 599 with satisfactory records were analyzed. The mean age of the cases was 39.18±10.23 years (range: 19–75). Epithelial cell abnormalities (ECAs) were found in 47 cases (7.8%), and these were categorized as follows: ASCUS in 4.5% (27/599) of cases followed by atypical glandular cells (AGC) (2.2%; 13/599) and LSIL (0.5%; 3/599), while ASCH and HSIL abnormalities were equally observed among 0.3% (2/599 each) of cases. Of patients positive Pap smear findings, ASCUS was the most frequent type of ECA (57.4%; 27/47) followed by AGC (27.7%; 13/47) and LSIL (6.4%; 3/47), while ASCH and HSIL were the least frequent ECAs among Yemeni patients. ECAs were significantly more prevalent among women aged >40 years (10.8%) compared with those aged <40 years (5.5%). Conclusions: Cervical cytological abnormalities are not uncommon among women in Yemen, where the AGC is frequent among about a third of women with abnormal Pap smear findings and affects women of different ages. This requires more attention and training of doctors to master good sample taking, preparation and diagnosis with a focus on glandular changes.

Objective: To determine the frequency and pattern of abnormal cervical smear findings among women attending the University of Science and Technology Hospital (USTH) in Sana'a city. Methods: This study is a retrospective, cross-sectional study. Records of women examined by conventional Pap smears in the Histopathology Laboratory of USTH over a 4-year period (from January 2013 to December 2016) were retrieved and analyzed for abnormalities according to the Bethesda system. Results: Of 688 cases, 599 with satisfactory records were analyzed. The mean age of the cases was 39.18±10.23 years (range: 19–75). Epithelial cell abnormalities (ECAs) were found in 47 cases (7.8%), and these were categorized as follows: ASCUS in 4.5% (27/599) of cases followed by atypical glandular cells (AGC) (2.2%; 13/599) and LSIL (0.5%; 3/599), while ASCH and HSIL abnormalities were equally observed among 0.3% (2/599 each) of cases. Of patients positive Pap smear findings, ASCUS was the most frequent type of ECA (57.4%; 27/47) followed by AGC (27.7%; 13/47) and LSIL (6.4%; 3/47), while ASCH and HSIL were the least frequent ECAs among Yemeni patients. ECAs were significantly more prevalent among women aged >40 years (10.8%) compared with those aged <40 years (5.5%). Conclusions: Cervical cytological abnormalities are not uncommon among women in Yemen, where the AGC is frequent among about a third of women with abnormal Pap smear findings and affects women of different ages. This requires more attention and training of doctors to master good sample taking, preparation and diagnosis with a focus on glandular changes.