Study of cervical cytological changes in HIV patients

Abstract

Patients with HIV have an increased incidence of abnormal cervical cytological changes. This case-control study (30 cases, 30 controls) was aimed at demonstrating these findings. Both symptomatic and asymptomatic pre-menopausal women of 20-50 years were included in the study. Conventional Pap smears were taken and examined by cytopathologists. HIV cases had more incidence of abnormal cervical cytology (13 cases, 43.33%) than their sero-negative counterparts (5 cases, 16.67%).Out of the 13 cases, 2(6.66%) had LSIL and 1(3.33%) was with ASC-US, specific infections with coccobacilli, T. vaginalis and Candida was found in a total of 5 samples (16.67%) against only 1 t. vaginalis infection (3.33%) in the control group. Reparative changes (squamous metaplasia) was seen in 5 cases (16.67%) of the HIV positive group and in 2 cases (6.66%) in the control group. There was no case of malignancy in the HIV positive group, in contrast to the HIV negative control group which presented a single case of malignancy and another case of HSIL. The study showed that HIV infection was associated with an increased incidence of opportunistic infections along with dysplasias of the cervix. The cases with Dysplasia should be followed up to screen for malignant transformation.