title: Trends in Epithelial Cell Abnormalities Observed on Cervical Smears over a 21-Year Period in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Kuwait.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to analyse trends in epithelial cell abnormalities (ECAs) in cervical cytology at a tertiary care hospital in Kuwait.
  
  
  METHODS
  ECAs in 135,766 reports were compared over three seven-year periods between 1992 and 2012. Conventional Papanicolaou (Pap) smear tests were used in the first two periods and ThinPrep (Hologic Corp., Bedford, Massachusetts, USA) tests were used in the third.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant increases in satisfactory smears, atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) and atypical glandular cells of undetermined significance/atypical glandular cells (AGUS/AGCs) were seen in the second and third periods (P <0.001). No significant increases were observed among low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSILs) or high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs) (P >0.05). An increase was noted in carcinomas between the first and second periods although a significant decline was seen in the third (P <0.014).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Satisfactory smears, ASCUS and AGUS/AGC increased during the study period although no significant increases in LSILs, HSILs or carcinomas were observed.
authors: Department of Pathology, Nursing, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait;
authors: Kusum
authors: K
authors: Kapila
authors: Health Science Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait;
authors: Prem N
authors: PN
authors: Sharma
authors: Department of Pathology, Nursing, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait;
authors: Sara S
authors: SS
authors: George
authors: Cytopathology Laboratory, Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, Safat, Kuwait.
authors: Azza
authors: A
authors: Al-Shaheen
authors: Cytopathology Laboratory, Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, Safat, Kuwait.
authors: Ahlam
authors: A
authors: Al-Juwaiser
authors: Faculty of Allied Health Sciences & Nursing, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait;
authors: Rana
authors: R
authors: Al-Awadhi
keywords: Cytological Techniques; Epithelial Cells; Kuwait; Papanicolaou Smear; Retrospective Study