Comparative Trial of Cryosurgery and Diathermy Cauterization in the Treatment of Cervical Erosion

Abstract

The results of treatment by Cryosurgery of 52 patients with cervical erosions and chronic cervicitis were compared with those obtained in 50 patients treated by diathermy cauterization. The extent of the diseased area in all the patients was such that electrocautery in the Out-patient Department would have been inadequate. The refrigerant used for cryosurgical treatment was nitrous oxide delivered through a special cervical probe. A single treatment with cryosurgery resulted in an 83 per cent rate of complete healing compared to a 62 per cent rate of complete healing after diathermy cauterization. This difference was statistically significant. (P = 0.02).

Cryosurgery for Benign Cervical Lesions

“…Cryosurgery is less painful than diathermy (Ostergard et al, 1969;Jackson, 1972) and in the present series no patient had more than slight discomfort, which did not continue after treatment was completed. Jackson (1972) and Townsend et al (1971) found that mild discomfort in the lower abdomen continued for up to three days after treatment, but this was not our experience.…”

“…Jackson (1972) and Townsend et al (1971) found that mild discomfort in the lower abdomen continued for up to three days after treatment, but this was not our experience. None of our patients noted dizziness or flushing after treatment.…”

“…Ostergard et al (1969), comparing its efficacy with that of diathermy, found a healing rate of 90% with cryosurgery and 33% with diathermy. Jackson (1972) found a cure rate of 83% with cryosurgery compared with 62% with diathermy, but most of the patients were treated under general anaesthesia. Similar high cure rates with cryosurgery have been reported by others (Ostergard et al, 1968;Townsend et al, 1971;Young et al, 1972).…”

“…Such cauterization without sedation or analgesia is more often painful than many of those who use it care to admit, and many treatments are sometimes needed to secure complete healing. Ostergard et al (1969) claimed that cryosurgery brought quicker healing of the cervix and gave a greater rate of cure (Ostergard et al, 1969;Jackson, 1972). Miller and Elstein (1973) were unable to show these advantages, but they limited application of the cryoprobe to a two-minute period.…”

Histological and Histochemical Studies of the Effect of a Devitalizing Preparation on the Cervix uteri (With 1 color plate)

“…For small, accessible lesions, var ious forms of local thermocoagulation (elec tric and infrared cauterization) or cryother apy are generally used. Electrocauterization has been largely replaced by cryotherapy, which has a less deep effect and is conse quently less injurious to the underlying tissue [1][2][3]. Chemical cauterizing agents com monly used in the past had lost their popular ity for the treatment of cervical ectopia be cause the extent of application and the depth of penetration are difficult to assess and con trol.…”