Can Visual Inspection after Acetic acid replace Papanicolaou smear. Issue 1 (February 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Arya, Rakhi; Arora, Raksha; Benwal, Devendra; Kumar, Vijaya K.; Verma, Surendra
• Is Part Of: Evidence based women's health journal. Volume 5:Issue 1(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-02
• Subjects: Women -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Women's Health -- Periodicals; 616.008205
• DOI: 10.1097/01.EBX.0000459260.20636.04
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2090-7265

Abstract

<abstract> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec> <title>Objective</title> <p>The aim of this study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of acetic acid application to the cervix as a screening test for cervical cancer and to compare it with Papanicolaou smear and correlate it with histopathology of colposcopy-directed biopsy.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Setting</title> <p>The study was conducted in a tertiary care centre.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Design</title> <p>The study was conducted as a prospective trial.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Materials and methods</title> <p>Papanicoloau smear was taken, and the cervix was visualized after application of 5% acetic acid. Women with positive Pap smears or positive naked eye acetic acid test (NEAT) were subjected to colposcopy and directed biopsies were obtained.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Results</title> <p>The sensitivity of NEAT was higher than that of Pap smear (80.3 vs. 24.5%), and the specificity of Pap smear was higher than that of NEAT (95.3 vs. 21.2%).</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Conclusion</title> <p>NEAT may serve as an adjunct to routine Pap smear to pick up additional 50% of premalignant lesions. It is not capable of replacing Pap smear because of its low specificity. The high false-positive rate of the acetic acid test may be due to the large number of unhealthy cervices (57.6%).</p> </sec> </abstract>