title: Utility and Reproducibility of the International Federation for Cervical Pathology and Colposcopy Classification of Transformation Zones in Daily Practice: A Multicenter Study of the German Colposcopy Network.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the distribution of International Federation for Cervical Pathology and Colposcopy (IFCPC) transformation zone (TZ) types among women in different age groups referred to 8 colposcopy clinics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between February 2012 and February 2013, we prospectively collected individual patient data from 8 clinics within the German Colposcopy Network (G-CONE). Data were analyzed using ODSdysplasie, software designed to allow continuous quality assessment in colposcopy clinics. The distribution of IFCPC-classified TZ was compared between different centers for the following age groups: younger than 30 years, between 30 and 50 years, and older than 50 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 3,761 patients included in the analysis, 2,153 (57%) were classified as having type 2 TZ, 906 (24%) as type 1 TZ, and 702 (19%) as type 3 TZ. Type 3 TZ was the most commonly reported type in women older than 50 years (70%). We found that the relative distribution of type 3 TZ between age groups was similar in the participating colposcopy clinics. However, there was evidence of heterogeneous distribution of types 1 and 2 TZ between age groups in different clinics, ranging from 7.8% to 66.4% for type 1 TZ in women younger than 30 years and 28.9% to 78.1% for type 2 TZ in women 30 to 50 years old.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although IFCPC type 3 TZ seems to be a reproducible finding, the distribution of types 1 and 2 TZ showed significant heterogeneity. A more precise anatomic distinction between types 1 and 2 TZ in the IFCPC terminology could improve reporting of colposcopy findings.
authors.affiliation: 1Klinikum Wolfsburg, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sauerbruchstr, Wolfsburg; 2German Centre for Cancer Registry Data, Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin; 3Cancer Epidemiology, University Cancer Center Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden; 4Partnerschaftsgesellschaft abts+partner Prüner Gang, Kiel, Germany Deutsche Klinik; 5Gynäkologische Gemeinschaftspraxis, Karrenführerstraße, Braunschweig; 6Institute for Cytology and Cytology, Theaterstr, Hannover, Germany, 7University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Gynecology, Martinistraße, Hamburg; 8Frauenarztpraxis, Am Herzogenkamp, Bremen; 9University Düsseldorf, Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics, Moorenstr, Düsseldorf; 10Frauenarztpraxis, Heussweg, Hamburg; and 11Asthenis GmbH, Aschheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luyten
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Buttmann-Schweiger
authors.forename: Ingke
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hagemann
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scherbring
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boehmer
authors.forename: Friederike
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gieseking
authors.forename: Linn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Woelber
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Glasenapp
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hampl
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kuehler-Obbarius
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van den Bergh
authors.forename: Karl Ulrich
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Petry
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D003127:Colposcopy / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012955:Societies, Medical; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology