Colposcopically directed biopsy and loop excision of the transformation zone. Comparison of histologic findings

We performed a retrospective comparison between the findings from colposcopically directed biopsies and those from loop excision of the transformation zone (LETZ) specimens. The correlation was satisfactory. When a low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) was predicted on a cytologic smear and biopsy specimen, no cases of invasive carcinoma were found. In two (0.8%) cases in which a high grade SIL was predicted on the cervical smear and biopsy, microinvasive carcinoma was found in the LETZ specimen.