Triaging women with positive visual inspection with Acetic Acid (via) results with Liquid Based Cytology (LBC) at Cimas Medical Laboratories, Zimbabwe
Year: 2020
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) has a low specificity for the detection of cervical lesions. It is therefore, necessary to subject those found positive to cytological assessment so as to avoid referrals for cryotherapy.Objectives: To determine Liquid Based Cytological (LBC) findings in VIA positive women and also estimate the proportion of women who could be spared from cryotherapy.Materials and Methods: This study was a cross sectional descriptive study. Consecutive sampling method was used. A Thin Prep 2000 machine was used to process the LBC samples which were then stained using the Papanicolaou stain. The 2014 Bethesda System was used to report the LBC smears.Results: Of the 205 VIA positive women enrolled in the study, 6 (2.9%) had an unsatisfactory interpretation, 145 (70.7%) had an NILM interpretation, 27 (13.2%) had an ASCUS interpretation, 7 (3.4%) had an LSIL diagnosis, 2 (1.0%) had an ASC-H interpretation and 18 (8.8%) had a HSIL diagnosis. Of the 145 NILM cases, 35 (24%) were reported as inflammatory, 2 (1.4%) had Candida infections and 5 (3.4%) had Bacterial vaginosis.Conclusion: Most (70.7%) VIA positive women had no cytological detectable lesions and therefore were requested for follow up as per protocol. This study recommends subjecting all who are VIA positive to have a cytological test and follow up.
Source: East African Medical Journal
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W3121955519