[The frequency and importance of gynaecological screening in older women (author's transl)].

A report is given on the incidence of doubtful and positive smears from the uterine cervix in women aged more than 60 years. Although the total number of smears of this age group represented only 10% of the total number of 39.325 smears examined at the 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of Vienna University a doubtful smear was found in 24 (11.7%) out of a total of 205 patients and positive cervical smear in 50 (18.2%) out of a total of 177 patients. The high rate of incidence of cervical carcinoma in this age group is also reflected by the official population satistics in Austria. In our 74 patients with positive or doubtful smears 46 cases of invasive cancer were found. In view of these facts it is emphatically stressed that the age group of older women should be considered just as important as the younger age group and equally encouraged to present themselves for regular gynaecological examination.