[Preoperative evaluation by colposcopy and cytology in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (cin) (author's transl)]

Before conization in 108 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) colposcopic findings and the results of triple cervical smears (anterior and posterior cervical lip and endocervical canal) have been evaluated and compared with the microscopic findings, limiting the comparison to the separately investigated anterior and posterior cervical lips. Colposcopically and cytologically suspicious findings agreed with the microscopic findings of CIN in 48.3% (anterior lip) resp. 41.7% (posterior lip). Cytologically suspicious findings alone have been determined in 80.5% resp. 84.8%; colposcopically suspicious findings were found in 55.2% resp. 48.1%. The main causes of false negative smears may have been failures of sampling, of false negative colposcopical findings a wrong estimation of an atypical transformation zone. A combined application of colposcopy and triple cervical smear technique in patients with abnormal smears is strongly recommended. This may improve the results of localizing a lesion of CIN.