Is there a role for cervicography in the detection of premalignant lesions of the cervix uteri?

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Abstract
The characteristics of cervicography and the Papanicolaou smear test have been compared for the detection of cervix lesions classified as CIN I or more. A total of 4,015 women were entered into the study. The sensitivity of cervicography is significantly higher (McNemar test, P < 0.0001), but its specificity remains significantly lower (McNemar test, P < 0.0001), and its higher sensitivity does not apply to lesions classified as CIN II or more (high-grade lesions). Hence, if patients with a positive screen result are to be referred for colposcopy-biopsy, cervicography is not a suitable alternative to the smear test for the screening of cervical cancer. However, cervicography can be envisaged as a complementary tool to the smear test because of (a) its higher capability to detect high-grade lesions among women less than 35 years old and (b) its potential superiority in following low-grade lesions. It may also serve as a tool for quality assurance audit of the smear test.