Cervical Curettage Research Articles

Is routine prophylactic cervical cerclage associated with significant prolongation of triplet gestation?

Objective. The purpose of this study was to determine if routine prophylactic cervical cerclage was associated with a significant prolongation of triplet pregnancy.Study design. A retrospective study of all women carrying triplet pregnancies at a single institution during a four-year period was carried out. Selected maternal characteristics and obstetric outcome measures in women who received prophylactic cerclage (PC) were compared to women who did not receive PC (no cerclage placed and emergency cerclage). Statistical comparison was done using the Mann–Whitney test for continuous variables and Fisher's exact test for categorical variables.Results. Fifty-five women had PC and 40 had no PC. There was no significant difference between these two groups in mean maternal age or weight, nulliparity, history of or current sexually transmitted disease, cigarette smoking, history of cervical insufficiency, prior dilation and curettage, prior cervical surgery, prior preterm labor/prolonged preterm rupture of membranes (PTL/PPROM), medical complications in pregnancy, current PTL/PPROM, gestational age at delivery, delivery prior to 28 weeks, delivery prior to 32 weeks, or delivery of an infant weighing less than 1000 or 1500 grams. Thirteen women in the no PC group (32.5%) required emergency cerclage.Conclusion. PC was not associated with significant prolongation of triplet pregnancy.

Clinical significance of atypical glandular cells on Pap smear

Objective：We determine the rate of an atypical glandular cells (AGC) on cervical cytology and the incidence of clinical significant lesion on subsequent follow up biopsies. In this study, we attempted to assess the clinical significance of a cytologic diagnosis of atypical glandular cells (AGC). Methods：A total of 60,174 Pap smears were obtained between January 1st 2000 and December 31th 2005 at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital. Among these smears, 26 patients had a diagnosis of AGC. Follow up was available for 23 patients (88.5%) and these patients had histologic follow up including cervical biopsy, endocervical curettage (ECC), and/or endometrial biopsy (EMB). Results：Among 23 patients with AGC, eight (34.8%) were found to have a clinically significant malignant lesions on subsequent histologic follow up, including 2 endometrial denocarcinoma cases, 1 cervical adenosquamous cell carcinoma case, 1 endocervical adenocarcinoma case, 2 vault adenocarcinoma cases, 1 MMMT case and 1 squamous cell carcinoma case. We found the differences in incidence of malignant lesions between premenopausal (23.5%) and postmenopausal (66.8%) patients with marginal significance (p=0.057). Conclusion：The incidence of AGC in Pap smear was 0.04%. The patients with AGC had a substantial risk of having a significant number of squamous or glandular, premalignant or malignant lesions. This study strongly suggests the need for the close follow up of patients with a diagnosis of AGC, especially in postmenopausal women.

Management of early viable cervical pregnancy

To evaluate conservative management of early viable cervical pregnancy. Prospective study. A tertiary teaching hospital. All cases of cervical pregnancies with fetal cardiac activity presenting to our hospital over six years. All cases were managed with trans-abdominal intra-amniotic injection of 25 mg of methotrexate under ultrasound guidance. Follow up sonographic examinations and serum beta-hCG measurements were performed every three days. Cervical curettage was performed after two follow up ultrasound examinations had shown a dead fetus and a regressing gestational sac as well as declining beta-hCG levels. Patients were managed as outpatients. Successful management and need for hospitalisation. Nine cases were encountered. Two required a second injection of methotrexate for persistent fetal cardiac activity and serum beta-hCG rise in the follow up examination. We did not observe any side effects and no patient required admission to the hospital. Intra-amniotic methotrexate injection and subsequent cervical curettage after one week is a successful alternative for the management of cervical pregnancies.

Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the uterine cervix: A case report

Primary uterine cervical non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) are rare. Limited experience dictates careful pretherapy evaluation and multidisciplinary approach in treatment planning. A 53-year-old woman presented with postmenopausal bleeding and PAP smear IIIb. Cervical biopsy and endocervical curettage biopsy revealed NHL of the uterine cervix. Abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral adnexectomy was followed by pelvic lymphadenectomy due to lymph node metastasis, 21 months after the primary operation. Subsequently, the patient received postoperative chemotherapy. Seven years after the onset of NHL she is alive with no evidence of disease recurrence.

Comparison of Two Tests for Detecting Carcinogenic HPV in Women with Papanicolaou Smear Reports of ASCUS and LSIL

Background The detection of cancer-associated types of human papillomavirus (HPV) in cervical specimens predicts the presence and future development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). The purposes of this study were (1) to determine the efficacy of a second-generation assay by hybrid capture (HC II) to detect carcinogenic HPV from residual cervical cells of a liquid-based cervical cytologic specimen, and (2) to compare the performance of this second-generation test with the first-generation hybrid capture (HCT) HPV test of material from direct cervical sampling to detect CIN in women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) Papanicolaou (Pap) smear reports. Methods Women with a recent Pap smear report of ASCUS or LSIL had a sampling of the cervix using either an Ayre's spatula and cytobrush or an Accellon device sampling for liquid-based cytologic system HC II HPV testing, followed by a Dacron swab sampling of the cervix for standard HCT HPV testing of the paired specimens. All women received colposcopy examinations including cervical biopsy and endocervical curettage, when indicated, to determine criterion standards for comparison. Results Paired swabs and liquid-based cervical specimens from 242 women were available for testing by standard HCT and the newer HC II HPV DNA assays. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for detecting CIN grade 2 or 3 (CIN 2/3) were 61.9%, 57.0%, 12.0%, and 94.0%, respectively, for the HCT test, and 90.5%, 29.4%, 10.9%, and 97.0%, respectively, for the liquid-based cytology HC II assay. When only women with an initial ASCUS Pap smear report were considered, the HC II test results were 88.9%, 40.3%, 9.1%, and 98.2%, respectively. Conclusions Testing for lower genital tract carcinogenic HPV DNA using a cervical cytology liquid transport media residual sample is clinically feasible. The new HC II microplate HPV test achieved a greater test sensitivity for detecting carcinogenic HPV and correspondingly of CIN 2/3 compared with the currently available first-generation HC HPV test. Use of a liquid-based cervical cytology system combined with intermediate triage by HC II testing of residual cells for carcinogenic HPV alone may help to efficiently identify CIN 2/3 in women who have a prior screening Pap smear report of ASCUS.

Subsequent reproduction and obstetric outcome after methotrexate treatment of cervical pregnancy: a review of original literature and international collaborative follow-up.

The case reports of 22 patients with cervical pregnancies treated by methotrexate (MTX) administration and published in English literature between 1983 and 1995 were reviewed, by either original paper review or follow-up under international collaboration, to determine the subsequent reproductive performance and obstetric outcomes. Out of 22 cases, 18 (78%) MTX chemotherapy attempts succeeded with complete remission and four (22%) failed. Of the 13 women who wished to conceive and could be followed for at least 3 years, nine succeeded in having live births without congenital malformations, one spontaneously aborted and three suffered infertility. In general, MTX chemotherapy alone or combined with adjuvant methods such as subsequent cervical curettage or cervical tamponade, or intracervical potassium chloride injection, appears to be a convenient and effective method for the treatment of the majority of cervical pregnancies before 12 weeks gestation, and has not been shown to have detrimental effects on subsequent reproductive capacities, obstetric outcomes and progeny health for those cases with successful preservation of the uteri.

Long-term follow-up of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia treated with minimal conization by carbon dioxide laser.

Minimal conization with carbon dioxide laser (CO2) for safe diagnosis and treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 1-3 has been utilized for 15 years. To evaluate the results of 15 years' follow-up. Clinical prospective study: 2,903 non-pregnant women whose cervicovaginal smear revealed CIN 1-3, confirmed by colposcopy, were referred for minimal conization treatment (LMC). This outpatient free-hand excision is performed under local anesthesia with a 60-W continuous laser beam focused to a 0.1-mm spot size, giving a power density of 165,000 W/cm2. Adjuvant cervical curettage is done routinely. Complications after the procedure were insignificant. Histopathological investigations revealed invasive carcinoma in 1.2% of the minicones. The primary cure rate was 96.1%. In the life table analysis of the patients the cumulative risk of recurrence for all forms of CIN was 0.89% at year 5, 1.36% at year 10, and 3.02% at year 15. There was no sudden onset carcinoma during the follow-up period. Minimal conization is a safe, effective treatment for CIN and early forms of microinvasive carcinoma. Invasive carcinoma can be detected early and should be treated without delay. The cumulative risk of developing new CIN is 3.02% at year 15 and there is no risk of sudden-onset invasive carcinoma following this procedure.

Long‐term follow‐up of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia treated with minimal conization by carbon dioxide laser

Background and Objective Minimal conization with carbon dioxide laser (CO2) for safe diagnosis and treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 1–3 has been utilized for 15 years. To evaluate the results of 15 years' follow-up. Study Design/Materials and Methods: Clinical prospective study: 2,903 non-pregnant women whose cervicovaginal smear revealed CIN 1–3, confirmed by colposcopy, were referred for minimal conization treatment (LMC). This outpatient free-hand excision is performed under local anesthesia with a 60-W continuous laser beam focused to a 0.1-mm spot size, giving a power density of 165,000 W/cm2. Adjuvant cervical curettage is done routinely. Results Complications after the procedure were insignificant. Histopathological investigation revealed invasive carcinoma in 1.2% of the minicones. The primary cure rate was 96.1%. In the life table analysis of the patients the cumulative risk of recurrence for all forms of CIN was 0.89% at year 5, 1.36% at year 10, and 3.02% at year 15. There was no sudden onset carcinoma during the follow-up period. Conclusion Minimal conization is a safe, effective treatment for CIN and early forms of microinvasive carcinoma. Invasive carcinoma can be detected early and should be treated without delay. The cumulative risk of developing new CIN is 3.02% at year 15 and there is no risk of sudden-onset invasive carcinoma following this procedure. Lasers Surg. Med. 20:461–466, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Laser miniconization procedure

Objective: To describe the outpatient procedure of minimal conization with free-hand guided high power density carbon dioxide laser for simultaneous diagnosis and treatment of CIN producing a on-peiece tissue specimen for histological examination. Material and methods: 3100 non-pregnant patients with mild, moderate or severe dysplasia in pap smear, having colposcopically proved ectocervical lesions but without evidence of invasive carcinoma, or 85 pregnant patients with severe dysplasia in pap smear having extensive colposcopic signs of at least carcinoma in situ were admitted for this treatment. This outpatient procedure including cervical curettage is performed under local anesthesia to excise a one-piece 5 mm (during pregnancy 7 mm) deep minicone. Results: The degree of patient discomfort, bleeding complications, postoperative pain, infection or vaginal discharge were all minimal. The procedure was fast, causing minimal thermal damage of resection lines of the minicone specimen. Histopathological examination of the non-pregnant minicones revealed microinvasive or invasive carcinoma in 1.2%, the primary cure rate was 96.1%. During pregnancy, 13.3% malignancy was found. No unexpected sudden onset of invasive carcinoma was recorded during the 15-year follow-up and the cumulative risk of recurrence for all forms of CIN was 3.02%. Conclusions: The outpatient miniconization procedure, performed with a free-hand guided 60-W high power density CO 2 laser is a reliable method for simultaneous diagnosis and treatment of CIN. Because of the paucity of complications, this procedure may also be appropriate during pregnancy.

Carbon dioxide laser miniconization for treatment of human papillomavirus infection associated with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia

The effect of the carbon dioxide laser miniconization for treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia with concomitant human papillomavirus infection was evaluated. One hundred and eighteen women with cytologically proven cervical intraepithelial neoplasia stage 1 and/or 2 were investigated with repeat vaginal smear, colposcopy and human papillomavirus DNA sampling. Seventy-five out of 118 women were subjected to laser miniconization or punch biopsy and cervical curettage. Out of 118 patients 37 proved to have positive human papillomavirus DNA with one or more oncogenic types (31.4%). Of these, 32 women were miniconized and five subjected to punch biopsy or cervical curettage. On the first follow-up after miniconization all 32 patients were HPV negative. With follow-up up to five years no recurrences of HPV or dysplasia were seen. A miniconization procedure with carbon dioxide laser for treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia proved useful also for simultaneous therapy of concomitant human papillomavirus infection of the uterine cervix.

Minimal laser conization during pregnancy

The objective of this study was to evaluate a minimal laser conization procedure during pregnancy for safe diagnosis and treatment of carcinoma in situ. This was a clinical prospective study in a University Hospital. Seventy-five pregnant women selected on the basis of a cervical smear showing carcinoma in situ or dysplasia, or an extensive picture confirmed by colposcopy, were referred for minimal conization procedure. A free-hand minimal conization procedure using a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser was performed in ambulant care under local anaesthesia. The minimal conization procedure is defined as the removal of a 7.0 mm high, slightly conical tissue specimen from the uterine cervix containing the entire transformation zone. After the cone specimen was taken, routine cervical curettage was also performed. There were no complications attributable to the conization procedure and no adverse effects either during pregnancy or at delivery. Histopathological examination of the cone specimens from 75 patients revealed carcinoma in situ or dysplasia in 65 cases. More advanced malignancy was found in 10 cases; micro-invasive carcinoma stage 1A (n = 7) or stage 1B (n = 3). The minimal conization procedure with CO2 laser during pregnancy enables safe diagnosis of carcinoma in situ selected by cytology and colposcopy. It also proved useful for diagnosis and treatment of stage 1A or stage 1B carcinoma, enabling pregnancy to be preserved and radical cancer treatment to be postponed until delivery.

Transabdominal cerclage in the management of cervical pregnancy: three case reports

We report three cases of cervical pregnancy, managed by transabdominal uterine cerclage and cervical curettage: each one was followed by a successful pregnancy. A review of the literature is presented.

Low prevalence of human papillomavirus DNA in endometrial cancer

SummaryWe examined 77 cases of primary endometrial cancer for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA by Southern blot hybridisation under stringent and non-stringent conditions and the polymerase chain reaction with type specific primers for HPV-11, -16 and -18.HVP DNA was detected in three of these 77 primary endometrial cancers (two HPV-16, one HPV of undefined type). Two of the three HPV positive tissues were obtained by cervical biopsy or uterine curettage, methods which confer a risk of contamination with benign HPV-containing cervical cells. HPV detection in endometrial cancer seems to be a rare event. The sporadic detection of HPV DNA in endometrial cancer tissue may be due to artificial spread from undiagnosed cervical HPV infection.

Prospective Randomized Trial of LLETZ Versus Laser Ablation in Patients With Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia

Abstract Three hundred seventy-five patients with CIN on referral Pap and with a distinct cervical lesion on colposcopy were prospectively randomized to treatment with LLETZ or to standard colposcopic evaluation with directed cervical biopsies, endocervical curettage, and laser ablation of the transformation zone for biopsy proven CIN. Of the 195 patients that randomized to treatment with LLETZ, 32.5% had no evidence of dysplasia, 26.5% had CIN 1, 17.3% had CIN 2, 22.7% had CIN 3, and 0.5% had microinvasive carcinoma on final histologic evaluation. Of the 180 patients randomized to laser ablation, initial cervical biopsies demonstrated no evidence of dysplasia in 52.8% of patients, CIN 1 in 22.0%, CIN 2 in 18.3%, and CIN 3 in 5.7%. Only 114 (63.3%) of the women in the laser group required therapy. Complications ware comparable for each treatment arm. Only 6.7% of patients randomized to LLETZ and 4.4% with laser ablation had persistent CIN on follow-up Pap. LLETZ appears to be effective, well tolerated, and less expensive, but the cost savings advantage of LLETZ over laser ablation may not apply to patients with CIN 1 on referral Pap smear since many do not require treatment.

Laser conization: Follow-up in patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in the cone margin

Combination laser conization was performed in 469 patients for the treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). In 58 cases (12.4%), CIN was located in the margins of the cone. Fifty-one patients with involvement of the margins were evaluated by cytologic examination, using the Ayre spatula and the Cytobrush, and by cervical biopsy and endocervical curettage (ECC). In six cases, the histologic evaluation was positive, and in three of these cases, the cytology was positive too. Hysterectomy was performed in five cases, but in only one case was a significant lesion demonstrated in the uterus. These results justify expectant, conservative management of patients treated with combination laser conization. Follow-up based on colposcopy and cytology seems sufficient.

Cytobrush in Evaluation of Cervical Dysplasia: Is Cervical Curettage Necessary?

203 patients suspected of having dysplasia were evaluated by colposcopy, cytologic smear including cytobrush, endocervical curettage, biopsy and conization. The results obtained on the basis of the final cone suggested that directed biopsies and cytological smear by spatula and cytobrush more accurately define the dysplastic lesion than do biopsies and endocervical curettage. Conization seemed necessary for the evaluation of the cervical lesion in patients revealing non-classified dysplasia at successive examinations.

Assessment of positive cytologic and/or colposcopic findings in the uterine cervix in pregnancy

When cytologic and colposcopic findings are atypical during pregnancy, a differentiated diagnostic approach is necessary for the sake of an undisturbed course of pregnancy. Scraping of the portio with cervical curettage--a procedure with a low complication rate--for provisional diagnosis (to rule out an invasive carcinoma) permits a definitive diagnosis to be established after lying-in. Problems are pointed out.

Severe Cervical Dysplasia Control by Biopsies or Primary Conization? A Comparative Study

During the period 1967-75 severe cervical dysplasia was diagnosed in 87 consecutive cases by means of colposcopically directed biopsies of the portio and by cervical curettage. Thirty-eight of the patients were treated, 3-6 weeks after diagnostic biopsy, by conization (conization group) and subsequently followed with smears and colposcopy. The remaining 49 patients (the biopsy group) were followed up at regular intervals by colposcopically directed biopsies of the portio and cervical curettage. The follow-up period for all 87 patients ranged from 9 to 106 months, mean 47.6 months. The groups were comparable with respect to the most important epidemiological factors. During the follow-up period progression to carcinoma in situ and to microinvasive carcinoma was found in 57.1% of the biopsy group but in 0% of the conization group. Of the whole material, 69 patients had conization (the 38 patients of the conization group plus 31 of the biopsy group). In 3 cases (4.35%) the cone diagnosis was 1 grade more serious than the biopsy diagnosis. The mean transit time of progression from severe dysplasia to CIS/MIC was 12-15 months. It is concluded that severe dysplasia is a rapidly progressing state which can be safely diagnosed by colposcopically directed biopsies of the portio and cervical curettage and effectively treated by conization. In view of the fact that not less than 32.7% of the cases with severe dysplasia in the biopsy group regressed during follow-up, we recommend that the diagnosis be established by portio biopsies and cervical curettage, twice with an interval of 3 months to restrict the number of superfluous conizations.