[Difficulties in the detection and the diagnosis of carcinoma in situ of the uterine cervix in the presence of associated dysplasia].

Ninety nine cases of carcinoma in situ of the cervix are reported. In all cases, the definitive diagnosis was established after study of an operative specimen (cone biopsy or hysterectomy) examined by serial section. Pre-operative cytology was falsely negative (or suggestive of simple dysplasia) in 35,4 per cent of cases and pre-operative biopsy falsely negative in 40 per cent. These errors were approximately twice as common in cases in which dysplasia was present in association with the caricinoma (40 cases) than in those cases in which the malignancy alone was present (59 cases). The practical conclusions which may be drawn from these findings in relation to detection and diagnosis are discussed.