Frequency of cervico vaginalis alteration in submitted patients of cytopathological exam

Abstract

The cytopathological exam is useful recommended for early diagnoses of neoplastic and of pre-neoplastic lesions of the uterine cervix. In Brazil, cervix neoplasm is the second most frequent malignant neoplasm in women. The aim of this study was evaluate the frequency of cytopathologic alterations and its relationship with age. The cases selection was performed by means of cytopathological exam results in women aged 14 to 80 years old, by the revision in Centro de Atenção Integrado a Saúde da Mulher, Uberaba (MG), during the period of 2001-2003. From de 35.220 reviewed exams, 3.34% tests showed alterations in the cervico vaginalis epithelium, with a higher frequency in the squamous cervical epithelium alterations and glandular epithelium alterations of unknown significance (53.7%) as well as infection by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) (31%). The infections caused by the HPV and atypical glandular and scamous cells of undetermined significance were more frequent in ages under the 40 (p<0.005), yet the occurrence of cervical carcinoma was more frequent in women over 40 (p<0.005). Therefore, the frequency of cytopathologic alterations of the cervical and vaginal epithelium and its relationship to age were resemblance to described in literature. The HPV infection, the best carcinogenic potential agent attacked younger patients and the invasive neoplasm was more frequent in women over 40 years old.

Key words: Diagnostic; Cytopathological exam; Woman health.