Histopathological Study of Spectrum of Lesions of Uterine Cervix

Uterine cervix is a gateway to several neoplastic and nonneoplastic lesions. Cervical carcinoma accounts for 20%-25% of all cancers and 80%-85% of all genital tract cancers worldwide. It is the most common malignancy in Indian women.

The aim of this study was to study the histopathological spectrum, incidence, and distribution with respect to the age of various cervical lesions and to determine their clinicopathological correlation.

A prospective observational study of 200 cases of cervical lesions was carried out in the histopathology section of the Department of Pathology for the duration of 2 years after obtaining permission from the Institutional Ethics Committee.

Study participants were selected from the study population admitted at the study center based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Statistical software GraphPad InStat.v3.0 was used for statistical analysis.

In our study, 49.5% of cases were malignant and 50.5% of cases were benign. The most common malignant lesion on histopathological examination was squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Majority of the lesions were in the 41-50 years of age group. Clinicopathological agreement was noted in 93.5% of cases. Twenty-eight out of 30 cases of SCC (93.33%) were positive for p16 staining. Agreement between Pap smear findings and histopathological diagnosis was 100% in cases of malignant and premalignant lesions of the cervix.

Histopathological examination is important not only for confirmation of the preoperative diagnosis but also in evaluating the incidence and age-wise distribution of both neoplastic and nonneoplastic cervical lesions. Early and accurate diagnosis of cervical lesions provides an opportunity for appropriate interventions to prevent further complications.