Microhysteroscopy: a new approach to the diagnosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia

The recent development of the microhysteroscope permits observation of female genital tract surfaces at different magnifications ranging from 1:1 to contact microscopic examination of vitally stained living cells at a magnification of 150:1. One of the emerging applications of the microhysteroscope is in the diagnosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). To evaluate the capabilities and reliability of microhysteroscopy, two studies were performed. The first study compared this technique with colposcopy, cytology, and histology in the evaluation of 92 patients with abnormal Papanicolaou smears (CIN II, III). The second study prospectively evaluated 800 patients using microhysteroscopy as a screening tool. Initial results of the two studies suggest that microhysteroscopy is a highly precise method of evaluating cervical precancerous lesions.