Synthetic hygroscopic cervical dilator use in patients with unsatisfactory colposcopy.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the ability of a synthetic hygroscopic cervical dilator to make an unsatisfactory colposcopic examination satisfactory, thereby avoiding cervical conization.


METHODS
From April 1991 to March 1993, 30 women with unsatisfactory colposcopic examinations underwent repeat colposcopy after a synthetic hygroscopic cervical dilator had been placed in the endocervical canal for approximately 2 hours.


RESULTS
The reasons for initial unsatisfactory colposcopy in the 30 patients were squamocolumnar junction not seen in its entirety (18 patients, 60%), lesion not seen in its entirety (ten, 33%), and neither transformation zone nor lesion seen in their entirety (two, 7%). Complications were encountered in one patient from whom the dilator could not be removed completely. Of 29 patients undergoing repeat colposcopy, 23 (79%) had satisfactory examinations. In 15 of 30 patients, conization was avoided; it was required in six of 30 (20%) women for persistent unsatisfactory colposcopy (including the patient in whom the dilator broke) and in nine of 30 (30%) for other indications.


CONCLUSIONS
This experience suggests that a synthetic hygroscopic cervical dilator can be used in patients with an unsatisfactory colposcopy to achieve a satisfactory examination, thus avoiding cervical conization.
McCord
M L
ML
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Tennessee, Memphis.
Stovall
T G
TG
Summitt
R L
RL
Lipscomb
G H
GH
Collins
K W
KW
Parsons
L H
LH
D000019:Abortifacient Agents; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000473:pathology*; D020681:Colposcopes; D003127:Colposcopy / Q000379:methods; D004106:Dilatation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D011108:Polymers; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology
D000019:Abortifacient Agents; D011108:Polymers; C077755:dilapan