Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Acta Cytologica, cilt.49, sa.3, ss.257-261, 2005 (SCI-Expanded)
Objective: To detect whether there is a relationship between the presence of Actinomyces-like organisms (ALOs) and cytologic findings. Study Design: Papanicolaou-stained smears from 2,290 women were examined cytologically. Nineteen (0.83%) of the 2,290 were diagnosed with ALOs and became the study group. Patients without infections agents (n = 1,792) were the control group. Statistical analyses were conducted with the χ2 test using the SPSS program (Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.). Results The study and control groups were compared statistically. There was a significant correlation between the presence of ALOs and other cytologic findings, such as Trichomonas vaginalis, cocci, pseudoeosinophilia, endocervical cells, superficial cells, lactobacilli and polymorphonuclear leukocytes (p < 0.05), but there was no statistically significant difference between the presence of ALOs and metaplastic cells, parabasal cells or nuclear changes (p > 0.05). Conclusion ALOs in cervicovaginal smears might provide a milieu for growing some infectious agents, such as Trichomonas vaginalis and cocci. Lactobacilli were less plentiful in these cases. Vaginal discharge and abdominal pain were also important clinical findings for the detection of ALOs. Another finding was long-term usage of intrauterine contraceptive devices, which can cause the overgrowth of ALOs in vaginal mucosa. © The International Academy of Cytology.