SPECTRUM OF PAP SMEAR CYTOLOGY IN WOMEN PRESENTING IN A TERTIARY CARE CENTER, TRICHY DISTRICT, SOUTHERN INDIA

Introduction: Carcinoma cervix is the major health problem with increased morbidity and mortality. Around 60% of cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage, making the treatment more complex. Pap smear can able to detect precancerous and cancer of cervix along with infection and inflammatory pathologies making the clinician in timely and appropriate management. Objective: This study aims at detecting the prevalence of current trends of nonneoplastic and neoplastic lesions of cervix in patients who attending our tertiary care centre. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective study done in Srinivasan medical college and Hospital for a period of 6 months in patients who attended gynaecology department. Smears were made and stained with Pap stain after fixation in ethyl alcohol. Reporting was done based on the Bethesda system 2014. Results: Out of 500 cases, 495 cases (99%) were satisfactory for evaluation. Of these, 470 (94%) cases were negative for intraepithelial lesion/malignancy and 24 cases (4.8%) shown epithelial cell abnormalities. Nonspecific inflammation contributed 30.6% cases, infections like Bacterial vaginosis were seen in 71 cases (14.2%) followed by candidiasis in 31 cases (6.2%). ASCUS were reported in 2.8% cases followed by LSIL in 0.8% cases. HSIL and SCC were observed in 0.4% cases each. Conclusion: Pap smear is cost-effective, non-invasive screening test that reduces the incidence of cancerous lesions of cervix and to be implemented at primary health care. All rural women needed to be educated about this screening test.