Spectrum of Abnormal Cervical Lesions and its Cytohistological Correlation: a Study from an Institute of National Importance of Western Rajasthan.

Cancer of the cervix is the second most common cancer in women worldwide. It accounts for 12% of all cancers in females. Our study aims to find out the pattern of cervical cytology on Papanicolaou smear (Pap smear) and its correlation with histopathological findings in the tertiary care referral centre of Western Rajasthan. This is a prospective study carried out over two years, in which all cervical cytology smears were reported as per the 2014 Bethesda system and abnormal cytology was correlated with histopathological findings in cases where cervical biopsy or total hysterectomy specimens were available. A total of 2291 cervical cytology smears were studied concerning age group, clinical signs and symptoms, and cytology findings. Cervical biopsy correlation was done in 65 patients aged 31-45 (45.61%) years. The mean age of our patients was 41 years. Among the 2291 smears, 181 were unsatisfactory for evaluation. In total, 1982 (86.51%) smears were negative for intraepithelial lesion and malignancy (NILM). Out of 61 abnormal smears, atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) were seen in 26 (42.62%) cases, atypical squamous cells-cannot exclude high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (ASC-H) in nine (14.75%) cases, low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) in four (6.56%) cases, while nine (14.75%) cases were positive for high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL). Invasive squamous cell carcinoma was seen in seven (11.48%) cases and two (3.28%) cases were positive for adenocarcinoma. Atypical glandular cells of undetermined significance (AGUS) were diagnosed in four (6.56%) cases. In our institutional study, specificity was 81.58% and sensitivity 83.33%. The cytohistopathological correlation was 68.18%, with HSIL (88.89%) having the highest correlation. Various new techniques have emerged in the diagnosis of a range of lesions of the cervix but as these technologies are costly, they cannot be implemented in poor set up countries. In the present scenario, the Pap smear test is considered the best screening method for cervical carcinoma. Biopsy is always considered to be the gold standard for carcinoma cervix provided that it is taken from representative areas.