Abstract
Objectives: The Papanicolaou screening test (Pap smears) is performed to preemptively identify and treat cervical cancer. This study aims to estimate the frequency of positive cervical Pap smears during the last 10 years in our institution and compare with world literature.
Design: Retrospective chart review
Setting: Tertiary hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Subjects: Cervical smears of Saudi women from 2004-2014 were reviewed, abnormal smears identified and correlated with histopathology. The prevalence, mean age and standard deviation for each type of abnormal smear was calculated. Non-Saudi women were excluded from this study. The obtained data was compared with national and international studies.
Interventions: None
Main outcome measure and results: The number of cervical smears reported as abnormal was low (1% in 10 years). About half the abnormal smears were atypical cells of undetermined significance (47.6%), followed by low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (23.2%), high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (8.5%), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC, 6.1%), atypical glandular cells favor neoplasia (6.1%), adenocarcinoma (AC, 3.3%) and others (5.3%). The mean ages of SCC and AC were 57 and 70 years, respectively.
Conclusion: The proportion of abnormal cervical Pap smears in Saudi Arabian women is low and the women positive for squamous carcinoma are in the relatively older age group. We recommend establishing human papilloma virus (HPV)-DNA testing at all our major centers to guide management. Despite low incidence of cervical carcinoma, adding HPV vaccine to the mandatory list of vaccinations in Saudi Arabia will be useful.