The differences in the cytological histories of women with high- and low-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.
This study concerns 330 women from each of whom we had received a cervical smear showing cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in 1989. They were divided into two groups. One consisted of 197 cases that had progressed to histologically confirmed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 between 1989-90, the other of those that had not done so. Their laboratory records (1981-92) were analysed. These showed clear differences in their cervical histories. Those that had progressed rapidly to grade 3 (on histology) were characterized by a short history of abnormal smears. Those that had not progressed over the years tended to have had a series of fluctuating low-grade lesions. On this basis it is suggested that a woman with a negative cervical-smear history, presenting with intraepithelial neoplasia irrespective of grade, should be carefully monitored over the following year to define the nature of the lesion present.
Bertelsen
B
B
Gade Institute, Department of pathology, University of Bergen, Haukeland Hospital, Norway.
Hartveit
F
F
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000473:pathology*