title: Conservative treatment of low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) of the cervix.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the accuracy of the cervical smear and colposcopy in diagnosing low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL), and the natural history of LSIL.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cytological, colposcopic and histological findings of 145 patients with a smear diagnosis of LSIL were compared, and the final outcome studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The diagnosis of LSIL either by cytology alone or in combination with colposcopy was associated with a rate of overdiagnosis of 11.7% and 6.9%, respectively, and a rate of underdiagnosis of 31.0% and 26.2%, respectively. Spontaneous regression of lesions occurred in 81.1% of patients with proven LSIL, with regression within 24 months in 4/5 of cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The degree of dysplasia shown in the cervical smear correlated poorly with histology. All patients with cervical smear showing LSIL should have colposcopy and colposcopic-directed biopsy to exclude the presence of more advanced lesions. In the absence of some serious lesions, it is then acceptable to observe the patient for 24 months before adopting definite treatment, as spontaneous regression is common.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Pun
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Ngan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D003127:Colposcopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D014626:Vaginal Smears