title: Management of the minimally abnormal papanicolaou smear in pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effectiveness of colposcopy of the uterine cervix in pregnant patients with minimally abnormal Papanicolaou smears.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred, indigent, pregnant patients with atypical cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) or low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LGSIL) on Papanicolaou smear underwent colposcopy and endocervical evaluation. Directed biopsies were performed on 64 patients. One hundred thirty-five patients were compliant with postpartum Papanicolaou smears or colposcopy with endocervical evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred eighty-seven pregnant patients had satisfactory prenatal Papanicolaou smears, colposcopy and endocervical brushings. High-grade intraepithelial lesions were found in 2.1% of prenatal endocervical brushings, 4.7% of prenatal biopsies, 0.8% of postpartum Papanicolaou smears, 2.2% of postpartum endocervical brushings, and 7.9% of postpartum biopsies. No invasive cervical cancer was detected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Antepartum colposcopic evaluation did not add in the management of minimally abnormal Papnicolaou smears in this population of pregnant women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver Health Medical Center, Denver, CO 80204, USA. tdunn@dhha.org
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Bajaj
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Stamm
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Beaty