title: Evaluation of patients with atypical results of a Papanicolaou smear.
abstract: One hundred women with atypical Papanicolaou smear results were examined in a protocol of colposcopy, cervicography, cervical cultures, and wet preparations of vaginal secretions. Infections of the vagina and cervix were rare and often found in patients with coexistent cervical dysplasia. Cervicography identified many of the patients who ultimately were found to have cervical dysplasia but had high false positive and false negative rates. Forty-seven percent of the patients had cervical dysplasia or cervical condyloma. Based on this high rate of dysplasia, treatment of vaginitis and repeated cervical cytology cannot be recommended. Colposcopy represents the most appropriate approach to the patient with atypical cytology.
authors.affiliation: Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology Clinic, Gundersen Clinic, La Crosse, WI 54601.
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Schauberger
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Gundersen
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Felion
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Merkitch
mesh_terms: D003127:Colposcopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014621:Vagina / Q000382:microbiology; D014626:Vaginal Smears