IMPACT OF COLPOSCOPY ON MANAGEMENT OUTCOMES OF PATIENTS WITH ABNORMAL CERVICAL CYTOLOGY

Background: With stringent cervical cytology screening programmes for women in reproductiveage group, cervical cancer is, to a large extent, preventable. Back-up confirmatory colposcopicevaluation is necessary in order for cytology to have impact on cervical cancer-related morbidityand mortality.Objectives: To track the management outcomes of abnormal cervical cytology and hence confercredence to the value of colposcopy in management of abnormal cervical cytology.Design: Retrospective descriptive study.Setting: Kenya Medical Women Association Colposcopy Clinic.Main outcome measures: Correlation of cervical cytologic abnormalities with colposcopic outcomesand eventual management outcomes.Results: The population was young, with 50.6% being 25-34 years old, and 59.3% less than 35 yearsof age. Parity was also low, with nearly 75% being para three or less. A substantial proportion ofwomen had normal colposcopic findings (42.0, 26.7, 18.6 and 11.1% for cytologic abnormalities CINI, CIN II, CIN III and invasive carcinoma respectively). Colposcopic abnormality detection rate,irrespective of the severity of the lesion, increased with severity of cytologic lesion (from 58.0%CIN I to 89.0% for invasive carcinoma). The sensitivity of cervical cytology was 58, 59 and 65%for CIN I,II and III respectively, while respective specificity was 72, 71 and 85%. The concordancerates between cytological and colposcopic findings were 38.6, 32.5 and 60% for CIN I, II and IIIrespectively. The eventual management outcome was operative (LEEP and Hysterectomy) in greaterfrequency as the severity of the cytologic lesion increased.Conclusion: Colposcopy has significant impact on the management outcomes of abnormal cervicalcytology and is therefore an invaluable procedure in management of abnormal cervical cytology.For this reason, it is imperative that governments avail these services to all women, in addition toenforcing regular cytologic screening for cervical cancer