Clinicopathologic Significance of Atypical Glandular Cells in Cervical Cytology Smears: A five years Retrospective Study in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Authors

  • Rajashree Pradhan
  • Sharmistha Debnath
  • Somsubhra Chattopadhyay
  • Sajeeb Mondal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37506/ijphrd.v14i2.19100

Keywords:

Cervical smear, Atypical Glandular Cells, histologic follow up, Bethesda System

Abstract

Introduction: Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women. Recently the incidence of cervical
adenocarcinoma has been increased significantly on the contrary to the decreasing incidence of cervical squamous
cell carcinoma. Routine screening of cervical cancer by cervical smear cytology study to detect the pre-invasive
lesions carries a significant role in reducing the incidence and mortality rate of cervical cancer.
Objective: The aim of our study was to analyze the prevalence of Atypical Glandular Cells (AGCs) detected in
cervical smear screening, the follow up histopathological outcome and their clinical significance.
Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study done in College of Medicine and Sagore Dutta Hospital,
Kolkata over a period of 5 years from June 2017 to June 2022. Patients detected with Atypical Glandular cells
(AGCs) in cervical smears and having records of follow up histopathology reports were included in this study.
The cases of AGCs in which the follow up histopathological reports were not available were excluded from the
study.
Result: The prevalence of atypical glandular cells were 0.57%. Out of the total 10,950 cervical smears examined
AGCs were found in 63 cases (0.57%). Out of 63 cases of AGCs subcategorization was done(according to TBS
2015) which showed AGC not otherwise specified (AGC-NOS) in 46 cases (0.43%) and AGC Favoring Neoplasia
(AGC-FN) were seen in 15 cases (0.13%). Both AGC -NOS and AGC-FN showed various pathology ranging from
reactive, metaplastic, benign to, in situ/Invasive carcinomas.
Discussion: One of the major concern of AGC is that the cytological findings which characterize it have poor
reproducibility between observers leading to interobserver variability. Due to the reported risk of premalignant
and malignant lesions in AGCs it bear a great clinical significance and need for further histopathological correlation.

Conclusion: Due to very low incidence of AGCs and the risk of malignancy associated with it multiple histological
evaluation methods required for earlier diagnosis and management of the malignancies detected on histologic
follow up

Author Biographies

  • Rajashree Pradhan

    Associate Professor, Pathology, College of Medicine & Sagore Dutta Hospital, Kamarhati, Kolkata, WB

  • Sharmistha Debnath

    Associate Professor, Oncopathology, Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata

  • Somsubhra Chattopadhyay

    Associate Professor, Psychiatry, College of Medicine & Sagore Dutta Hospital, Kamarhati, Kolkata

  • Sajeeb Mondal

    Associate Professor, Pathology, Rampurhat Government Medical College & Hospital, Birbhum, WB

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Published

2023-03-15

How to Cite

Clinicopathologic Significance of Atypical Glandular Cells in Cervical Cytology Smears: A five years Retrospective Study in a Tertiary Care Hospital. (2023). Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, 14(2), 219-225. https://doi.org/10.37506/ijphrd.v14i2.19100