Abstract:
INTRODUCTIO N
Cervical cytology screening is routinely performed in
women undergoing in-vitro fertilization and embryo
transfer (IVF and ET). This study was performed
to assess the abnormal cervical cytology in women
undergoing IVF and ET.
MATERIALS AN D METHOD S
This retrospective cross sectional study was performed
at a tertiary care reproductive health centre in
Colombo. Cervical smears were taken from 168
women undergoing IV F and E T from 2004 January
to 2007 June .Cervical cytology diagnosis was made according to the Guideline for cervical cytology
screening and reporting in Sri Lanka 2006.The results
were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social
Sciences (SPSS) for windows version 15.0.
RESULTS
Among participants (35.7 ± 5.2 years of age) 74.0%
had primary subfertility (n=120/162) and 25.9% had
secondary subfertility (n=42/162). Mean duration
of infertility was 63.5 months, SD ± 42.0. The
causes of infertility were male factor (22.6%, n=38),
tubal (26.1%, n=44), endometriosis (24.4%, n=41),
anovulation (15.4%, n=26) and unexplained (8.9%,
n=15).
Cervical cytology was negative for intraepithelial
lesion or malignancy (NILM) in 98.2% of women
(n=165). Among them inflammatory smear was
seen in 22.4% (n=37/165) and atrophy was seen in
1.2% (n=2/165). Cervical cytology showed low grade
squamous intra epithelial lesions (LGSIL) in 1.8% of
women (n=3) in whom 2 women showed koilocytes
with atypia and one showed CI N 1 changes.
None of the participants showed high grade squamous
intra epithelial lesions (HGSIL), atypical squamous
cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) or
glandular cell atypia.
CONCLUSIO N
Cervical cytology abnormalities are rare among
subfertile women undergoing in-vitro fertilization
and embryo transfer. However there were few cases
identified as having abnormal cervical cytology, it
is advisable to perform routine screening as it is
beneficial to detect them prior to pregnancy through
I VF procedures.
