title: Observations on the surface area of the abnormal transformation zone associated with intraepithelial and early invasive squamous cell lesions of the cervix.
abstract: The apparent area of the abnormal transformation zone (TZ) of the cervix was measured in a total of 104 patients by a simple method with the use of the 1 and 5 mm. diameter circle in the center of the field of the Leisegang colposcope and the field of the colposcope itself. The visible area (mean +/- S.E.M.) of the abnormal TZ for five patients with microinvasive or occult carcinoma of the cervix (180.8 mm.2 +/- 62.2) was significantly larger (p less than 0.01) than that of 64 patients with major intraepithelial lesions (62.5 sq. mm.2 +/- 7.3) and 35 patients with minor intraepithelial lesions (45.8 sq. mm.2 +/- 11.7). The visible area of the abnormal TZ measured over 40 mm.2 in each of the five patients with invasive lesions but in only 42 of 99 (42%) patients with intraepithelial lesions. The TZ extended into the endocervical canal and could not be fully visualized in four (80%) of the patients with invasive lesions, 24 (38%) of patients with major intraepithelial lesions, and 11 (31%) of patients with minor intraepithelial lesions. The implications of these findings are discussed.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology*; D003127:Colposcopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000473:pathology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*