Frequency of Abnormal Cervical Smear in Women Presenting With Vaginal Discharge

Abstract OBJECTIVE:  To find out frequency of abnormal cervical smear in women presenting with vaginal discharge in Gynecology OPD liaquat university Hospital Sindh Hyderabad. MATERIAL AND METHODS Study design -  Cross sectional study. Setting - Outpatient department of Gynecology at liquate university hospital Hyderabad. Duration of study - The study duration was one year from 1 st October 2011 to 30 th September 2012 Exclusion Criteria - All women having pregnancy, menstrual bleeding, early puerperium and patients having obvious cervical malignancy, total hysterectomy. Results - Total number of patients enrolled in this study were 480,the pap smear revealed that 190(39.58%) patients did not have evidence of any malignant changes, 13(2.7%) revealed met aplastic pattern smear and 256(53.33%)showed inflammatory changes out of 256 inflammatory pattern smear 23(4.7%) showed trichomonas vaginalis, 4(0.83%) showed evidence of candidial infection while remaining revealed chronic non specific inflammatory changes. Malignant cells were present in 3 (0.625%) smears. Lower abdomen pain was the second most complain (29.58%) with vaginal discharge. Conclusion - Abnormal Vaginal discharge has association with pelvic inflammatory diseases and many patients had complaint of lower abdomen pain along with vaginal discharge. Multiparty, early age of marriage and prolong usage of oral contraceptive pills were the risk factor for vaginal discharge. Increasing parity was significant risk for developing cervical cancer. Many patients helped by giving knowledge about physiological vaginal discharge and reassured that there is no underline pathology even no specific therapy offered.