Abstract

Background: To enable early detection, accurate diagnosis, and timely treatment—while minimizing the risk of missed cancer cases—we conducted this study to compare cytological results with histopathological findings in precancerous and cancerous cervical lesions at Danang Hospital for Women and Children.

Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out on 135 patients with cytological results classified as ASC-US, ASC-H, AGC, LSIL, HSIL, and suspicious for malignancy. All patients underwent clinical examination, colposcopy, and cervical biopsy for histopathological diagnosis from January 2021 to April 2024.

Results: Among squamous cell lesions, HSIL was the most common, accounting for 51.1%. Glandular lesions included 4 AGC cases (3.0%) and 10 cases of cervical adenocarcinoma (7.4%). Histopathological findings most commonly showed HSIL (51.1%). The concordance rate between cytological and histopathological diagnosis for LSIL was 66.7%, and for HSIL was 85.5%. Among 12 cases with cytological results indicating malignant squamous cells, 84.6% had corresponding histological confirmation. The complete concordance rate for adenocarcinoma diagnosis between cytology and histology was 90%. The Pap smear test showed a false-positive rate of 8.3% and a false-negative rate of 9.4%. Sensitivity was 91.4%; specificity, 73.3%; positive predictive value, 89.7%; and negative predictive value, 71.0%.

Conclusion: The study confirms the value of cervical cytology in the early detection of cervical lesions, particularly high-grade lesions. Combining cytological examination with histopathology enhances diagnostic accuracy and plays an essential role in the screening and diagnosis of cervical cancer.