Is the Correlation between Papanicolaou Smear and Histopathology Results Affected by Time to Colposcopy?

Background: Time to colposcopy (TC) after abnormal Pap smears was evaluated for influence on cytohistologiccorrelation (CHC). Materials and
Methods: This retrospective study assessed the correlation between TC andCHC of women who had abnormal Pap smears. Colposcopic chart review included participants from 2010-2013 who attended a colposcopic clinic, Thammasat University Hospital, Thailand.
Results: Four hundred andsixty cases who had abnormal Pap smears were recruited. Pap reports were atypical smears with low gradesquamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL), high grade SIL and cancer at 339, 114 and 7 cases, respectively. Onehundred and twenty four patients underwent loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP). A half of the caseswere colposcopically examined within 1-2 months after abnormal Pap collection. CHC was 88 percent and notaffected at all by TC. Subjects who attended cervical cancer screening from affiliated health providers had shorterTC than those screened in our tertiary hospital.
Conclusions: Time to colposcopy with abnormal Pap smearsconducted at Thammasat University Hospital had a highest frequency of 42 days, in line with the literature.Length of TC does not affect the correlation between Pap and histopathologic reports. A longer waiting periodfor colposcopy did not alter progression or regression of the disease.