title: A comparative study of cervical smears in an urban Hospital in India and a population-based screening program in Mauritius.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study cervical smear abnormalities in urban women in India and women in Mauritius and to compare the results in the two groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  An analysis of 6010 cervical smears taken as part of routine check-ups in an urban hospital was done and an analysis of 10,000 cervical smears taken from women participating in a National Cancer Screening Program in Mauritius was done. Emphasis was put on cervical epithelial cell abnormalities and the results in the two populations are compared with that of similar studies in other parts of the world.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Non specific inflammation formed 19.6% and 25.34% of the smears in the Indian and Mauritian groups, respectively (with specific infection forming 6.05% and 15.08%). The epithelial abnormalities constituted 1.392% of the Indian group and 0.47% of the Mauritian group. The difference was statistically significant in the atypical squamous cells of uncertain significance (ASCUS) and atypical glandular cells of uncertain significance (AGUS) group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) is similar to that in the developed world.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomic Pathology and Cytology, Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad - 500033, India.
authors.forename: Kaustubh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mulay
authors.forename: Meenakshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Swain
authors.forename: Sushma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patra
authors.forename: Swarnalata
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gowrishankar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008436:Mauritius / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D018307:Neoplasms, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D014627:Vaginitis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult