The Pattern of Cervical Cytology in Obstetrics and Gynaecology Clinics in Nnewi; South-Eastern Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Background: Cervical cytology screening has decreased the incidence of and mortality from invasive cervical cancer in developed and even some developing countries. The story is still different in Nigeria because there is no national screening programme in place.Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the pattern of cervical cytology and relate it to some known risk factors such as age; parity; age at coitarche; number of sexual partners and clinical presentation.Subjects and Methods: A total of 100 women were seen at two Obstetrics and Gynaecology clinics in Nnewi over a three month period (May-July 2005) were screened. Conventional method of staining was used. The first fifty sexually active women that consented to completing the study questionnaire in the two clinics were included.Main Outcome Measures: The work noted the pattern of reports in relation to some known risk factors and adequacy of the sampling.Results: Sampling adequacy was 93; epithelial cell abnormality was reported in only one smear; 58 were reported as normal; 14 showed benign cellular changes (i.e. infective); and 18 reactive changes (i.e. atrophy). Conclusion: Now that infective aetiology has been established in cancer of the cervix; the co-factors may be some of these causes of benign cellular changes of the cervix