Cervicography: an intermediate triage test for the evaluation of cervical atypia.
BACKGROUND
A substantial number of abnormal Papanicolaou (Pap) smears are reported as demonstrating "cytologic atypia." This finding may actually represent premalignant cervical disease. Some of these patients may not be able to afford definitive colposcopic examinations, and simply repeating cytologic testing may result in missed treatable disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of cervicography as an intermediate triage test for women with atypical cervical cytology.


METHODS
Women with a recent smear demonstrating cytologic atypia were evaluated using colposcopy, biopsy, and cervicography.


RESULTS
Colposcopically directed cervical biopsies were obtained from 224 of 685 women with cytologic atypia. The histologic specimens confirmed evidence of cervical dysplasia for 166 women. Of these women, cervicography detected 74.7% of those who had mild dysplasia, 87.5% of those who had moderate dysplasia, 75% of those who had severe dysplasia, and the one patient who had cervical cancer. Most (93%) of the women with dysplasia that was undetected by cervicography had mild dysplasia.


CONCLUSIONS
Cervicography may be an effective intermediate triage test for the evaluation of young women with Pap smears demonstrating cytologic atypia.
Ferris
D G
DG
Department of Family Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta 30912-3500.
Payne
P
P
Frisch
L E
LE
D000085:Acetates; D019342:Acetic Acid; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000473:pathology*; D003127:Colposcopy; D003663:Decision Trees; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D010781:Photography; D002577:Uterine Cervical Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014626:Vaginal Smears
D000085:Acetates; D019342:Acetic Acid