[Micro-endoscopy of the uterine cervix (author's transl)]

Since 1978 micro-endoscopy of the uterine cervix was added to routine colposcopic and cytologic evaluation of the cervix for the purpose of early diagnosis of cancer. Especially, in cases of a typical transformation zones important diagnostic information about the malignity or benignity of the lesion can be obtained. Under colposcopic guidance a suspect point is vitally stained with Cresyl violet acetate 10% solution. Colposcopy is not only supplemented by micro-endoscopy, but colposcopy with the micro-endoscope. The new micro-endoscope gives a magnification of 130 times, a diameter of 5 mm, a length of 200 mm and in a fibre-optic light cable a light source of 280 volts with 150 watts/second from a Xenon Arc Lamp, focal depth of 0.8 mm, an internal visual field of 35 mm. In 356 micro-endoscopies 3.92% showed positive findings, 12.75% showed suspicious findings, 73.04% showed negative findings and 10.29% showed other findings such as necrotic cells, bleeding or were impossible to evaluated with the micro-endoscope.