need for routine cytologic screening in Egyptian females

ABSTRACT

The results of a five-year study during the period of 1981-1985 in the cytology division of the OB./GYN., Cairo University hospitals were reviewed. A total number of 4458 smears were studied. Forty-eight shears showed abnormal cytology, with a general incidence of 1.07%. There were 43 smears showing various grades of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia [CIN] and five smears were positive for invasive cancer. Although this is a remarkably how incidence, if compared to other reports in Europe and USA, yet, the fact than 19 smears of those positive for CIN were collected from clinically free patients may raise the question of the need for routine screening for Egyptian females. The particular age group of patients to be screened is defined in the present study. The prevalence incidence of CIN [cervical intraepithehial neoplasia] a mong Egyptian females has been recently mentioned to be 7.03/1000 [5]. Since this is a rather low incidence when compared to other reports [1, 2, 4, 8, 11] the following question may he raised. Do we really need to establish routine cytology screening programs in Egypt for the early diagnosis of cervical cancer procursors ? This work is an attempt to answer this important question, and to define a particular high-risk age group for CIN in Egyptian women