Should Routine Endocervical Curettage Be Performed on Patients with Human Papillomavirus Infections of the Cervix and Adequate Colposcopy?

Abstract

ABSTRACT

One hundred one patients referred for abnormal cervical cytology suggestive of both dysplasia and condyloma underwent colposcopic evaluation before biopsy and laser ablative therapy. Colposcopy was adequate in 85 patients, all of whom had biopsy-proven cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection of the cervix. Endocervical curettage (ECC) was performed in all patients. Only 5 patients (6%) had endocervical curettings positive for dysplasia, whereas 20 patients (24%) had firm histologic evidence of condyloma. An additional 13 patients (15%) had changes suggestive of condyloma on ECC. Implications for therapy of cervical HPV infections are discussed.