Cell pattern abnormalities in cervical pap smear in correlation with age and demography at a Tertiary care centre.

Abstract

Introduction: Carcinoma Cervix is common all around the globe and ranked third amidst allmalignancies among women. The cervical mucosa undergoes morphologic variation with age andpractising cytopathologists is aware of these difference to make an accurate diagnosis. This studyaimed to detect abnormal cervical epithelial cell patterns in a rural population and compare lesionsor abnormal cell patterns among different age groups. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional, descriptive study conducted in a tertiary care centre at the Department of Pathology over6 months. 408 women were included in the study. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel andanalyzed in SPSS software. Results: Out of 408 women included in the study, the most commonage group of the presentation was 31 to 40 years (36%), followed by 20 to 30 years (24%). NILM-Inflammatory was the most common finding (50%), followed by NILM (36%). The most commonsymptoms of presentation were Menstrual abnormalities (21%), White discharge and pruritus(18%). Findings in younger women were most commonly NILM-Inflammatory & NILM whereas in thepost-menopausal age group, ASCUS, LSIL & HSIL. Conclusion: All women above 30 years of ageshould undergo routine cervical cancer screening, and should continue screening even in theperimenopausal and postmenopausal age. Most women who visited the gynaecology OPD were notaware of cervical cancer screening. Hence the general population has to be educated about thebenefits of pap smear test through medical camps and awareness programs.