CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Cervical stenosis is a postoperative complication of procedures for treating preinvasive lesions of the cervix and takes on particular importance due to the clinical repercussions associated with it. Furthermore, it causes limitations in relation to cytological and colposcopic follow-up. The aim here was to assess the incidence of cervical stenosis among a cohort of patients who underwent electrosurgical conization and to identify possible prognostic factors associated with its occurrence. DESIGN AND SETTING:Retrospective study at Gynecology and Obstetrics Department, Instituto Fernandes Figueira, Rio de Janeiro. METHODS:This was an observational study among a cohort of patients who underwent electrosurgical conization of the uterine cervix. The possible predictive variables were analyzed as bivariate means between the groups with and without stenosis. We also calculated the incidence density rate ratio for cervical stenosis in relation to each possible predictive variable and the respective confi dence intervals (95%). Levels of 5% were considered signifi cant.RESULTS: 274 patients who underwent electrosurgical conization of the uterine cervix with a minimum follow-up period of six months were included. The crude incidence of cervical stenosis was 7.66% and the incidence density was 3.3/1,000 patients-month. CONCLUSIONS:We did not fi nd associations between the variables for stenosis. However, we observed borderline signifi cance levels relating to hemorrhagic complications before and after the operation (p = 0.089).

Prevalence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grades II/III and cervical cancer in patients with cytological diagnosis of atypical squamous cells when high-grade intraepithelial lesions (ASC-H) cannot be ruled out Prevalência de neoplasia intra-epitelial cervical graus II/III e câncer cervical nas pacientes com diagnóstico citológico de células escamosas atípicas, quando não se pode excluir lesão intra-epitelial de alto grau (ASC-H)Andréa RESULTS:The prevalence of CIN II/III in cases with ASC-H cytology was 19.29% (95% confidence interval, CI, 9.05-29.55%) and the risk of these lesions was greater among patients with ASC-H than with ASC-US cytology (prevalence ratio, PR, 10.42; 95% CI, 2.39-45.47; P = 0.0000764). Pre-invasive lesions were more frequently found in patients under 50 years of age with ASC-H cytology (PR, 2.67; 95% CI, 0.38-18.83); P = 0.2786998). There were no uterine cervical cancer cases. CONCLUSION:The prevalence of CIN II/III in patients with ASC-H cytology was significantly higher than with ASC-US, and division into ASC diagnostic subcategories had good capacity for discriminating the presence of pre-invasive lesions. RESUMO CONTEXTO E OBJETIVO:A última atualização do Sistema Bethesda dividiu a categoria de células escamosas atípicas de significado indeterminado (ASCUS) em ASC-US (de significado indeterminado) e ASC-H (quando não se pode excluir lesão intra-epitelial de alto grau). Os objetivos deste estudo foram medir a prevalência da lesão pré-invasiva (Neoplasia Intra-epitelial Cervical, NIC II/III) e câncer cervical, de pacientes que foram encaminhadas ao Instituto Fernandes Figueira (IFF), com citologia ASC-H e compará-la com os casos ASC-US. RESULTADOS: A prevalência de NIC II/III na citologia ASC-H foi de 19,29% (intervalo de confiança, IC 95% 9,05-29,55%) e o risco destas lesões foi maior entre as pacientes com citologia ASC-H comparado às pacientes com citologia ASC-US (razão de prevalência, RP = 10,42; IC 95% 2,39-45,47; P = 0,0000764). A lesão pré-invasiva na citologia ASC-H foi mais frequente abaixo dos 50 anos (RP = 2,67; IC 95% 0,38-18,83), P = 0,2786998. Não houve casos de câncer do colo do útero. TIPO DE ESTUDO E LOCAL:CONCLUSÕES: A prevalência de NIC II/III em pacientes com citologia ASC-H foi significativamente mais alta que a de ASC-US, e a divisão em subcategorias do diagnóstico ASC se mostrou com boa capacidade para discriminar a presença de lesões pré invasivas.

Efetividade da abordagem "ver e tratar" em lesões pré-invasivas no colo uterino ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness between the see-and-treat (S&T) approach and the conventional one (with prior biopsy) for squamous intraepithelial lesions of uterine cervix. METhODS:A cross-sectional study was conducted with 900 nonpregnant women with cytology suggestive of high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil, between 1998 and 2004. The S&T approach consists of a large loop excision of the transformation zone procedure and is recommended when cytology is suggestive of high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, satisfactory colposcopy with abnormalities compatible with the suspected cytological results, and the lesion is limited to the ectocervix or extends up to one centimeter of the endocervical canal. A subgroup of 336 patients whose colposcopy was considered satisfactory was analyzed, and they were divided into two groups for comparison: patients treated without prior biopsy (n = 288) and patients treated after a biopsy showing high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (n = 48). Patients who were not treated or only treated more than a year later after recruitment at the colposcopy unit were considered dropouts. RESULTS:Of patients recruited during the study period, 71 were not treated or were only treated for at least a year. The overall dropout rate was 7.9% (95% CI: 6.1;9.7). Mean time elapsed between patient recruitment and treatment was 17.5 days in the S&T group and 102.5 days in the prior biopsy group. Dropout rates were 1.4% (95% CI: 0.04;2.7) and 5.% (95% CI: 0;12.3), respectively (p=0.07). The proportion of overtreated cases (negative histology) in the S&T group was 2.0% (95% CI: 0.4;3.6). CONCLUSIONS:The difference in the mean time elapsed between patient recruitment and treatment indicates that S&T is a time-saving approach The proportion of negative cases from using the S&T approach can be regarded as low. The "see-and-treat" (S&T) approach for high-grade intraepithelial squamous lesions (HSIL) of uterine cervix consists of performing both diagnosis and treatment in one single visit. In Brazil, this approach was launched in 1997 as part of the National Program a for Uterine Cancer Management, Viva Mulher, to treat pre-invasive cervical lesions. The S&T approach included a large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) 9 procedure and is recommended when cytology is suggestive of HSIL (or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grades 2 or 3 -CIN 2/3), satisfactory colposcopy (transformation zone completely visible) with abnormalities compatible with the suspected cytological results, and the lesion is limited to the ectocervix or extends up to one centimeter of the endocervical RESUMO OBJETIVO: Comparar a efetividade do método "ver-e-tratar" (V&T) com a abordagem tradicional (biópsia prévia) das lesões escamosas intraepiteliais do colo uterino. DESCRIPTORS:MéTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo transversal realizado na cidade do Rio de Janeiro, ...

RESUMOObjetivo: verificar a prevalência de lesões intra-epiteliais de alto grau (LIAG) e câncer invasor em mulheres com citologia com diagnóstico de ASCUS (atipias em células escamosas de significado indeterminado) persistente após 6 meses e verificar se a idade é fator indicador para a existência destas lesões neste grupo de mulheres. Métodos: foram incluídos 215 casos de mulheres não-gestantes e HIV-negativas com diagnóstico de ASCUS (sem especificação) persistente em duas citologias com intervalo mínimo de 6 meses. Tais resultados foram confrontados com o resultado histológico de biópsias, exéreses da zona de transformação (large loop excision of the transformation zone) ou cones. Foram considerados negativos para LIAG ou câncer quando a colposcopia foi satisfatória e sem alterações ou quando, apesar de insatisfatória, não foi detectada lesão em pelo menos um seguimento citológico e colposcópico. Para estabelecer a prevalência de lesões, calculamos a freqüência de diagnósticos com seus respectivos intervalos de confiança a 95% (IC 95%). Para análise estatística da diferença de proporções de LIAG ou câncer em cada faixa de idade, foi utilizado teste do χ 2 , e ainda estimamos o risco destas lesões entre mulheres com mais de 35 anos pela razão de prevalências com seu IC 95%. Resultados: encontramos um total de negativos de 49,3% dos casos (IC 95%: 42,9). A prevalência de lesões intra-epiteliais de baixo grau foi de 38,6% (IC 95%: 32,1-45,1) e de LIAG de 10,7% (IC 95%: 6,5-14,8). Casos de câncer foram encontrados em 1,4% das pacientes (IC 95%: 0-2,9). Não foi possível estabelecer, de forma significativa, maior risco de LIAG/câncer considerando o corte de idade em 35 anos. Conclusão: a prevalência de LIAG/câncer encontrada em nosso estudo mostra que o risco de encontrarmos este tipo de lesão em mulheres atendidas no Sistema Único de Saúde em nosso município com duas citologias com diagnóstico de ASCUS é de cerca de 12%. Não foi possível evidenciar maior probabilidade de LIAG/câncer em qualquer das faixas etárias analisadas, porém este resultado pode ter sido limitado pelo pequeno tamanho amostral. PALAVRAS-CHAVE:Células epidermóides atípicas; Neoplasia intra-epitelial cervical; Neoplasia do colo uterino; Câncer cervical; Colposcopia; Citodiagnóstico ABSTRACT Purpose: to determine the prevalence of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) and cancer in women with cytological diagnosis of persistent ASCUS (atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance) for 6 months in the last 7 years. We also assessed if age could be a predictive factor for presence of HSIL/cancer in this group. Methods: we included 215 cases of nonpregnant and HIV-seronegative women with cytological diagnosis of persistent ASCUS (unespecific) with at least 6 months of interval between smears. This cytological diagnosis was compared to histological diagnosis obtained by biopsy (large loop excision of the transformation zone) or cone biopsies, and considered negative when colposcopy was satisfactory without lesions or, when unsatis...

the clinical guidelines recommended for the Programa Nacional de Controle do Cancer do Colo do Utero in Brazil can be improved with the referral to colposcopy in special situations (immune deficient women requiring specialist assistance), the use of test for the detection of oncogenic HPV in women over 20 (when present, refer to colposcopy), the investigation of vaginal lesions, the use of estrogens before the colposcopy in post-menopausal women, and disregard biopsy in case of slighter alterations.