Significance of PAP Smear in diagnosing Endometrial Carcinoma

ABSTRACT

To explore the role of cervical cytology in the diagnosis of endometrial disease in postmenopausal women in our set up. Study was conducted at Department of Pathology and Microbiology of The Aga Khan University, Karachi Pakistan during 2004. To assess the correlation between endometrial cells on routine cervical cytology and endometrial carcinoma, 57 Pap smears were taken from postmenopausal women with and without abnormal bleeding. The mean age was 54 +/- 7 years. The results of cervical cytology were compared and further confirmed with the endometrial histology. We found a positive association between endometrial cells in Pap smear and carcinoma of the endometrium in six out of 57 patients [11.02%] while remaining 51 patients [88.98%] were benign. However, the presence of atypical endometrial cells in Pap smear and the abnormal vaginal bleeding confirmed the diagnosis. The data indicate the importance of further diagnostic evaluation with endometrial sampling in postmenopausal women with endometrial cells seen in Pap smear, especially in abnormal vaginal bleeding