Clinical Indications investigation for

Colposcopy

Cervical Pathology is the science of the causes and effects of

diseases related to cervix with laboratory examination for diagnostic
purposes. Major diseases of Cervix include: Cervical endometriosis,
Ectropion and endocervicitis etc. Cervical cancer prevention
depends upon detection and treatment of high-grade (CIN2,3)
cervical lesions most likely to progress to invasive cancer in the
absence of treatment. Two primary cervical screening tests are now
in use The Pap test, which includes the conventional Pap smear and
the liquid-based Pap test.

A colposcopy is a close-up view of the cervix, vagina and vulva

for signs of disease. It is used to detect abnormal cells on the cervix.
During a colposcopy procedure, physician uses a colposcope an
instrument that looks like binoculars with a bright light mounted on
a stand. Colposcopy is usually done in one of two circumstances: to
examine the cervix either when the result of a Pap smear is
abnormal, or when the cervix looks abnormal during the collection
of a Pap smear.

Worldwide, it is estimated that there are 528,000 new cases of

cervical cancer each year and that 266,000 women die from the
disease. In the United States, the National Cancer Institute (NCI)
estimates that 1,200 new cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed
in 2015, and that 4,100 women will die from the disease. Currently,
the five-year survival rate for localized cervical cancer is 91.5%; the
overall (i.e., all stages combined) five-year survival rate is
approximately 67.8%. Cervical cancer was once one of the most
common causes of cancer death among U.S. women, but since the
1980s, the cervical cancer death rate in the United States has
decreased by more than 50%.

Studies show that access to health care is an important

predictor of cancer screening. In the United States, pap tests are
ordered or provided in approximately 29.4 million physician office
visits each year, and it is estimated that more than 3 million women
get unclear or abnormal results.

Colposcopy is the diagnostic test indicated for evaluating

patients with abnormal Pap test results. 7During the procedure,
features of the cervical epithelium are examined under magnified
illumination after the application of normal saline, 3% to 5% dilute
acetic acid, and Lugol iodine solution in successive steps. A green
filter highlights vascular patterns.

colposcopy is usually done in one of two circumstances: to

examine the cervix either when the result of a Pap smear is
abnormal, or when the cervix looks abnormal during the collection
of a Pap smear. Even if a Pap smear result is normal, colposcopy is
sometimes necessary when the cervix appears visibly abnormal to
the clinician performing the Pap smear. The purpose of the
colposcopy is to determine what is causing the abnormal looking
cervix or the abnormal Pap smear so that appropriate treatment can
be given.

Neither cytologic sampling nor colposcopic examination alone

provides definitive answers. If abnormal tissue is present, it is the
histologic result that provides the basis for treatment or
observation.

Colposcopy the traditional next step after an abnormal smear

test relies on the presence of visible indicators to detect atypical
cells on the cervix. Unfortunately, these indicators are not specific
to cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN), especially low-grade CIN,
which means that interpretation is subjective. Thats why we take
biopsies to confirm the presence of disease before offering
treatment. But biopsies are invasive and as it can be difficult to
judge the best location, we sometimes need to take more than one
tissue sample, which can add to patient discomfort. Even after the
biopsy is complete, it can take up to two weeks to receive the
histology results, making waiting patients understandably anxious.
In the majority of cases, the abnormal tissue will regress naturally,
so to avoid unnecessary and potentially harmful treatment, we tend
to recall these patients for repeat colposcopy at six- to 12-month
intervals only increasing the time and effort, in addition to
uncertainty for the patient.

From Hunan Yidao Medical Equipment Co., Ltd.

http://yidaomed.com/products/medical-optical-instruments/optical-

colposcope/colposcope/

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