[Evolution of atypical gynecological cervical smears in a captive population].

BACKGROUND

An atypical cervical smear may represent a wide variety of lesions, from banal diseases to invasive neoplastic lesions.

AIM

To study the evolution of atypical cervical smears in a highly controlled women population.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A retrospective analysis of 117 women with atypical cervical smears, diagnosed between 1985 and 1994, was performed at the institutional hospital of a mining corporation in Chile.

RESULTS

Patients age ranged from 25 to 65 years. Six percent of atypical cervical smears were associated to Papillomavirus infection and 25% to unspecific infectious agents. In the second smear, during follow up, 22.2% of women had some degree of squamous intraepithelial lesion or signs of Papillomavirus infection. A cervical biopsy was performed to 69 women, confirming the presence of a squamous intraepithelial neoplasia or signs of Papillomavirus infection in 38.4% of them. Only one patient had microinvasion.

CONCLUSIONS

All patients with atypical gynecological cervical smears should be closely followed to ascertain the diagnosis.