Reason for Abnormal Pap Smear
There are different factors which can be the reason for abnormal Pap smear. Cellular abnormalities on the cervix are linked with viral and bacterial infections, precancerous and cancerous diseases, the use of vaginal preparations, sexual relations, and natural cellular changes in the period of menopause, etc. For this reason, patients having an abnormal result of this test often undergo additional diagnostic tests.
It is hard to say exactly whether the patient has a severe disease from just one abnormal Pap smear. There may be used different tests to determine the reason for abnormal Pap smear. These are visual examination of the cervix and vagina, microscopic analysis, DNA tests, specific blood and cultural tests. The necessity of additional tests is determined by the doctor in each case. If a woman has an abnormal result of Pap smear, it is important that she observes all medical prescriptions.
Sometimes it is not clear what the reason for abnormal Pap smear is. In this case there have been detected some changes in the cells, but there is no pathology. This cell condition is categorized as ASCUS - Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance. This result may be the consequence of sexual contacts, vaginal use of some creams and tampons within 48 hours before Pap smear. At the same time, ASCUS may be suggestive of early pathological cell changes.
Sexually transmitted infections (STI) are a common reason for abnormal Pap smear. Women having an STI may have different symptoms, for example, warts and blisters in the genital area, vaginal discharges, burning, pain or discomfort. Some STI's do not cause symptoms, but they can be responsible for severe health problems. For example, most cases of cervical cancer are associated with certain types of human papilloma virus, and the women infected by these types usually have no symptoms of the infection.
Health care providers define the management of patients starting from the reason for abnormal Pap smear. Very often cellular abnormalities regress naturally. For this reason, in most cases it is sufficient to monitor the state of cervical tissue by regular Pap smears. If the result of Pap smear indicates a disease and its presence is confirmed by additional tests, an adequate treatment with drugs or surgery may be prescribed.
If the reason for abnormal Pap smear is discovered early, the efficacy of treatment is much higher. Precancerous and cancerous diseases are usually treated by surgical methods. The treatment of mild precancerous diseases can be realized in a doctor’s office. Everybody knows that prevention is better than cure. Every woman should be aware of a possible reason for abnormal Pap smear result, have regular examinations and lead a healthy lifestyle.
