ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Papanicolaou (Pap) test is an important and easy diagnostic tool to detect any abnormalities on vaginal cytology. Pap test is routinely done in women of reproductive age group in many countries. AIM: The aim of this study was to detect spectrum of abnormalities in female sex workers (FSWs) on vaginal cytology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 60 cases were included over a period of 1 year (July, 2011-June, 2012). The age range of the patients was 14-61 years. Pap stained slides were evaluated by two consultant cytopathologists and reported as normal smear, inflammatory smear, specific infection, low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), atypical squamous cell of undetermined significance (ASCUS), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and atypical glandular cell of undetermined significance (AGUS). RESULTS: Most of the smears were abnormal accounting for 86.7% of total cases (52/60). Incidence of HSIL was very high in FSWs. Out of 60 cases, 8 normal smears (13.3%), 12 inflammatory smears (20%), 3 cases of infections (5%), 9 cases of LSIL (15%), 23 cases of HSIL (38.3%), 2 cases (3.3%) each of ASCUS and SCC and 1 case (1.3%) AGUS were encountered. CONCLUSIONS: Close follow-up and histologic examinations are necessary to avoid unnecessary spread of the neoplastic disease and untimely death of the patients. Awareness about diseases in FSWs and diagnostic utility of Pap test are also a must.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The Bethesda system for reporting thyroid cytopathology represents a major step towards standardization, reproducibility, improved clinical significance, and greater predictive value of thyroid fine needle aspirates (FNAs). AIMS: To elucidate the utility of the Bethesda system in reporting thyroid FNAs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed thyroid FNAs between April 2009 and March 2012, classified them using the Bethesda system, found out the distribution of cases in each Bethesda category, and calculated the malignancy risk for each category by follow-up histopathology. RESULTS: Of the 1020 FNAs, 1.2% were non-diagnostic, 87.5% were benign, 1% were atypical follicular lesion of undetermined significance (AFLUS), 4.2% were suspicious for follicular neoplasm (SFN), 1.4% were suspicious for malignancy (SM), and 4.7% malignant. Of 69 cases originally interpreted as non-diagnostic, 12 remained non-diagnostic after re-aspiration. In 323 cases, data of follow-up histopathologic examination (HPE) were available. Rates of malignancy reported on follow-up HPE were non-diagnostic 0%, benign 4.5%, AFLUS 20%, SFN 30.6%, SM 75%, and malignant 97.8%. CONCLUSIONS: Reviewing the thyroid FNAs with the Bethesda system allowed a more specific cytological diagnosis. In this study, the distribution of cases in the Bethesda categories differed from some studies, with the number of benign cases being higher and the number of non-diagnostic and AFLUS cases being lower. The malignancy risk for each category correlated well with other studies. The Bethesda system thus allows standardization in reporting, improves perceptions of diagnostic terminology between cytopathologists and clinicians, and leads to more consistent management approaches.
