title: Prevalence and characteristics of abnormal Papanicolaou smear in Central Saudi Arabia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the prevalence and characteristics of abnormal pap smear in the central region of Saudi Arabia.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective case control study conducted in the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Histopathology at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, all pap smears screened for Saudi women between 2008 and 2011 were reviewed. Approximately 5000 pap smears are screened annually at King Abdulaziz Medical City utilizing the Bethesda III System (2001). All abnormal smears patients' data were collected and compared to the data of randomly selected 200 normal smears' patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Abnormal pap smear prevalence was found to be 4.3% (841/19,650 Saudi patients were found with atypical epithelial cells abnormalities). Its prevalence in the years 2008 was 5.7%, 2009 was 4.9%, 2010 was 4.2%, and 2011 was 2.5%. Abnormal smear patients have lower parity (p=0.001), and were less likely to use intra-uterine devices (p=0.03) compared with normal smear patients. Presence of abnormal cervical appearance was associated with increased epithelial cell abnormalities (p=0.045). The only positive history that has characterized patients with epithelial cell abnormalities was their previous history of abnormal pap smear (p=0.001). Squamous cell abnormalities were identified in 91% of the patients (767/841), and glandular cell abnormalities were identified in 9% of the patients (74/841).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalence of abnormal pap smears in central Saudi Arabia is relatively low, while advanced glandular abnormalities prevalence was observed to be high.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, King Abdulaziz Medical City, College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, PO Box 57374, Riyadh 11574, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Tel. +966 (11) 8011111 Ext. 13611. Fax. +966 (11) 8011111 Ext. 13128. E-mail. halkadri@gmail.com.
authors: Hanan M
authors: HM
authors: Al-Kadri
authors: Mehak
authors: M
authors: Kamal
authors: Samira S
authors: SS
authors: Bamuhair
authors: Aamir A
authors: AA
authors: Omair
authors: Hana S
authors: HS
authors: Bamefleh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology
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