Discrepancy in the interpretation of cervical histology by gynecologic pathologists.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if subspecialty review of cervical histology improves diagnostic consensus of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN).


METHODS
After routine histologic assessment within the hospital pathology department, 119 colposcopic cervical biopsies were interpreted by two subspecialty-trained gynecologic pathologists (GYN I and GYN II) blinded to each other's interpretations and to the interpretations of the hospital general pathologists (GEN). Biopsies were classified as normal (including cervicitis), low grade (LG, including CIN I and human papillomavirus changes), and high grade (HG, including CIN II/III). The interobserver agreement rates between GEN and GYN I, between GEN and GYN II, and between GYN I and GYN II were described using the kappa statistic. The proportions of biopsies assigned to each biopsy class were compared using McNemar test.


RESULTS
Interobserver agreement rates between GEN and GYN I were moderate for normal (kappa = 0.53) and LG (kappa = 0.46) and excellent for HG (kappa = 0.76). There were no significant differences in the classifications between GEN and GYN I. Interobserver agreement rates between GEN and GYN II were moderate for normal (kappa = 0.50) and LG (kappa = 0.44) and excellent for HG (kappa = 0.84). Also, GYN II was significantly more likely to classify biopsies as normal (P <.001) and less likely to classify biopsies as LG (P <.001). The interobserver agreement rates between GYN I and GYN II were moderate for normal (kappa = 0.61) and LG (kappa = 0.41) and excellent for HG (kappa = 0.84). Also, GYN II was significantly more likely to classify biopsies as normal (P <.001) and less likely to classify biopsies as LG (P =.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Interobserver agreement between two gynecologic pathologists was no better than that observed between general and gynecologic pathologists. Subspecialty review of cervical histology does not enhance diagnostic consensus of CIN.
Parker
Mary F
MF
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. parker@tatrc.org
Zahn
Christopher M
CM
Vogel
Kristina M
KM
Olsen
Cara H
CH
Miyazawa
Kunio
K
O'Connor
Dennis M
DM
D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003127:Colposcopy; D046508:Culture Techniques; D005260:Female; D006176:Gynecology / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015588:Observer Variation; D010338:Pathology, Clinical / Q000592:standards*; D011336:Probability; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000473:pathology*