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Management of the minimally abnormal papanicolaou smear in pregnancy
T S Dunn1, J E Bajaj, C A Stamm
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver Health Medical Center, Denver, CO 80204, USA. tdunn@dhha.org
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.
Conclusion:
Antepartum colposcopic evaluation did not add in the management of minimally abnormal Papnicolaou smears in this population of pregnant women.