Vol. 7, Issue 3, Part C (2024)

Aim: To evaluate the cytopathological patterns in cervical Pap smears of post-menopausal women and classify the observed cytopathological abnormalities based on the Bethesda system for reporting cervical cytology, 2014.

Materials and Methods: A retrospective study during one year of study period was conducted on cytology of cervical pap smears of 450 post-menopausal women at the Department of Pathology, GMERS Medical College and Hospital, Sola, Ahmadabad. The rapid Papanicolaou staining technique was used for staining all the cervical pap smears as per Papanicolaou stain kit instruction. Cervical pap smears were examined under light microscopy and lesions were classified according to the Bethesda system for reporting cervical cytology, 2014.

Results: Out of 450 post menopausal women, 232(51.56%) cases were categorized in Negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy (NILM), 104(23.11%) cases were categorized in Inflammatory Lesions, 39(8.66%) cases were categorized in Atrophy changes, 34(7.55%) cases were categorized into Epithelial Cell Abnormality.

Conclusion: The cervical pap smears test is simple, effective, noninvasive and less expensive procedure to detect pre-invasive cervical epithelial lesion. Cervical pap smear screenings are crucial for early detection and prevention of cervical cancer in postmenopausal women. Regular screenings and increased awareness are necessary to improve outcomes in post menopausal women.