Correlating the accuracy of colposcopy with practitioner experience when diagnosing cervical pathology using the dynamic spectral imaging system.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the performance of colposcopists and correlate it with their experience when diagnosing cervical pathology by reviewing conventional colposcopy (CC) digital images and the Dynamic Spectral Imaging System (DySIS) cervical map.


METHODS
Images from 50 women with normal and abnormal cervix collected during CC and the corresponding DySIS maps were projected consecutively to 63 participating colposcopists. Participants were asked for their diagnosis (normal, abnormal findings or cancer). The clinical experience of the participants was divided into low (n = 27), medium (n = 18) and high (n = 18), considering the number of colposcopies each one performed routinely.


RESULTS
The mean of overall correct diagnoses was significantly higher with DySIS than CC for the low and medium experience group (20.4 vs. 24.4, and 21.9 vs. 26.0, respectively; p < 0.001), but not in the high experience group. The correct diagnosis was significantly higher with DySIS than CC for all experience groups in cases with a normal cervix and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2+ (CIN2+), but not for those with CIN1. All groups agreed that DySIS guides biopsies better, offers more information and allows performing colposcopy even without extensive experience.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of evaluating projected colposcopy images were more successful with DySIS than with CC in the diagnosis of cervical pathology, especially among less experienced colposcopists.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain.
Pluvio J
PJ
Coronado
Maria
M
Fasero
D019342:Acetic Acid; D001706:Biopsy; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003127:Colposcopy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006176:Gynecology; D006801:Humans; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D002577:Uterine Cervical Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000473:pathology
D019342:Acetic Acid