Cervical Cytology Findings and Microorganisms Among Sudanese Women at Soba Teaching Hospital: Implications for Screening and Awareness

Medhat, Mouna Mahmoud Abdulrahman; Abdelwadoud, Mohamed Elfatih A. A.; Yousef, Rami; Ibrahim, Sulma Ibrahim Abdalwahab; Ibrahim, Mutaz Mohamed; Adam, Elsadig Ahmed; Burhan, Amira; Husain, Nazik Elmalaika Obaid; Osman, Hind Elrayah

doi:10.21608/ejmr.2025.352323.1770

Cervical Cytology Findings and Microorganisms Among Sudanese Women at Soba Teaching Hospital: Implications for Screening and Awareness

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Histopathology and Cytology, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, University of Medical Sciences and Technology, Khartoum, Sudan.

² Department of Histopathology and Cytology, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Wad Medani University of Sciences and Technology.

³ Napata College, SQ.10 building 151, Alreyadh, Khartoum, Sudan

⁴ Cervical Cancer Prevention & Research (CCPR) Unit, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Soba University Hospital, Khartoum Postal Code 13314, Sudan.

⁵ Department of Histopathology and Cytology, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, University of Medical Sciences and Technology, Khartoum, Sudan

⁶ Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, The National Ribat University, Khartoum, Sudan

⁷ Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum Postal Code 11115, Sudan

⁸ Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Omdurman Islamic University, Khartoum, Sudan

⁹ Department of Preventive Medicine and Public health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sudan University of Science and Technology

10.21608/ejmr.2025.352323.1770

Abstract

Background: Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in Sudanese women after breast cancer. Pap smear screening is an effective diagnostic procedure for early detection. This study aimed to identify cytomorphological patterns in Pap smears from Sudanese females attending the Cervical Cancer Prevention and Research Unit (CCPRU) at Soba Teaching Hospital (STH) in Khartoum, Sudan. Methods: This study was a descriptive, cross-sectional, laboratory-based study conducted at CCPRU, STH, Khartoum, Sudan, from December 2020 to June 2021. The study included 118 Sudanese females, age and reproductive status varied. Pap smears were processed using the Pap stain method (Bancroft, 1990). Demographic and clinical data were collected from patient records. Cytological findings were reported based on the Bethesda System 2013. For statistical analysis, SPSS version 23.0 was used. Results: The majority (71.2%) of participants were aged 15-45 years. Cytological diagnoses included NILM (69.5%), HSIL (13.5%), LSIL (12.7%), ASCUS (2.5%), SCC (0.9%), and adenocarcinoma (0.9%). Microorganisms included bacterial vaginosis (21 cases), Actinomyces (3 cases), cellular changes consistent with HPV (14 cases), candida (7 cases), cellular changes consistent with HSV (6 cases) and Trichomonas vaginalis (1 case). The association between cytological findings with the age group and the clinical symptoms proved to be statistically insignificant, while it is significant when related to the cytological characteristics according to the Bethesda system. Conclusion: Cervical cytology is vital for detecting precancerous and cancerous lesions in Sudanese women. The majority of participants were aged 15-45 years, and HSIL was the most common lesion. Establishing regular screening programs and raising awareness about cervical cancer are recommended

Keywords

Main Subjects

Diagnostic

References

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