Colposcopy guidelines

NEW YORK, June 26 (Praxis Press) Currently no guidelines exist for managing women with low grade cytological abnormalities, whose findings on colposcopy do not warrant immediate treatment. To develop an evidence-based protocol for these women, Teale and colleagues evaluated 566 women with low-grade cytological abnormalities who were not treated at a first visit to the colposcopy clinic, and followed them for a total of 881 years (see paper). Abnormalities resolved in 306 (54.1%) women, whereas 138 (24.4%) had persistent disease and 122 (21.5%) were subsequently treated. Women with low grade cytological abnormalities, who have a normal cervix on colposcopy and a negative or borderline repeat smear test result do not need to make repeated stressful visits to a colposcopy clinic.