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Prevalence of cervical pathogens in women with and without inflammatory changes on smear testing
W L Parsons1, M Godwin, C Robbins
1Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, Canada.
Objective:
To assess correlation between nonspecific cervicitis, inflammation, or exudate on cervical smears tests and confirmed presence of known cervical pathogens.
Design:
Investigation of women attending a family practice clinic for smear test by microbiological screening for Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Trichomonas vaginalis, Candida species, group B streptococcus, Gardnerella vaginalis, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
Setting:
Family practice teaching clinic in a university hospital.
Patients:
411 women presenting for a smear test.
Main Outcome Measures:
Prevalence of genital infections associated with presence or absence of inflammatory changes on cervical smear.
Results:
Of the 132 women with inflammatory changes on cervical smear, 64 (48%) had positive cultures. Of the 248 without inflammatory changes, 117 (47%) had positive cultures. Subgroup analysis on individual organisms also showed no significant difference between the two groups.
Conclusion:
Reports of inflammatory changes on cervical smear testing are a poor indicator of infection.