Background: Cervical infections are commonly encountered problems occurring in the women of the reproductive age group. Pap smear, a screening test for carcinoma cervix is a simple, quick test that can also be used for diagnosing cervico-vaginal infections. The present study was undertaken to study the utility of Pap smears in diagnosing cervicovaginal infections and to study the spectrum of infections occurring in this region.

Objectives: To establish that cervical pap smear is the most simple, easy, quick and painless procedure employed for cervicovaginal infections and to estimate the proportional frequency of normal, inadequate, unsatisfactory, inflammatory and neoplastic smears.

Methods: A Cross sectional study was conducted on 250 pateints. Cervicovaginal smears were collected from patients for various gynaecological problems. Study was mainly carried out in the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Index Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Indore to assess the utility of pap smear in diagnosing cervicovaginal infections during the period of January 2016 to April 2017.

Results: The overall frequency of normal, inadequate, unsatisfactory, inflammatory, infective and neoplastic smears were 31 (12.4%), 7(2.8%), 7 (2.8%), 111(44.4%), 87 (34.8%) and 25 (10%) respectively. In our study the age range was 20->40yrs. Majority (42.4%) of women belonged to >40 yr age group. The major presenting complaint was white discharge per vagina in 175 (70%) cases. Pelvic pain was the second most common complaint in 35 (14%) cases followed by DUB in 20(8%), prolapse in 12 (4.8%), dyspareunia in 5 (2%) and post-coital bleeding in 3 (1.2%). Among the 87 cases (34.8%) of infective smears, the infections that were observed were- Gardnerella 74 cases followed by Trichomonas-8 and Candida 5.

Conclusion: The cervical smear is the most simple and quick test which is beneficial in diagnosing cervical infections. However, other ancillary tests need to be employed for confirmatory diagnosis.

Keywords: Papanicolaou Smear; Cervico-Vaginal Infections; Bacterial Vaginosis
(Gardnerella); Trichomonas Vaginalis; Fungal Infections.