Successfully conservative treatment of large cervical choriocarcinoma with profuse vaginal bleeding.

Primary choriocarcinoma of the uterine cervix is a rare disease. The accurate diagnosis of such a disease is difficult to achieve because of its rarity. Furthermore, the majority of cases presented with abnormal vaginal bleeding that could be caused by other more common conditions including, threatened abortion, cervical polyp, cervical pregnancy, or cervical cancer. In the present report, the authors present a case of large cervical choriocarcinoma with life-threatening vaginal bleeding, which was initially misdiagnosed as a cervical cancer The active cervical bleeding was successfully controlled with selective uterine arterial embolization. Remission of cervical choriocarcinoma was accomplished with combination chemotherapy without the need of hysterectomy.

Interobserver reproducibility in determining p16 overexpression in cervical lesions : use of a combined scoring method.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate interobserver reproducibility of a combined scoring method for immunohistochemical interpretation of p16 overexpression in cervical lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: p16 immunostaining was performed in cervical samples from 183 patients, including 69 normal, 42 low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions(LSIL), 36 high grade SIL (HSIL), and 36 squamous cell carcinomas(SCCAs). Each case was evaluated by a combined scoring method based on the percentage of positive cells (score 0-3), the intensity of staining (score 0-3), and the distribution pattern (score 0-2). Immunoexpression for p16 was considered as positive when the combined score was 4-8 and negative with a score of 0-3. Ten pathologists with varied experience in interpretating p16 immunostains evaluated each slide independently. RESULTS: All normal cervical squamous epithelia (69/69) were uniformly negative for p16. All HSILs (36/36), all SCCAs (100/100), and all but one of the LSILs (40/41, 97.6%) showed positive expression. In 172 of 183 cases (93.9%), p16 interpretation was concordant with all pathologists. Eleven cases with discordant results included 10 LSILs and 1 normal mucosa sample. Percentage of agreement of each pathologist pair ranged from 96.7-100% (mean 98.1%) with mean kappa value of 0.96 (range 0.93-1.000). CONCLUSION: The proposed combined scoring method shows good reproducibility among the participating pathologists and good correlation with the histologic diagnosis. This method may be a useful guide in the interpretation of p16 expression in cervical epithelial lesions.

Clinical relevance of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance by the 2001 bethesda system: experience from a cervical cancer high incidence region.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the underlying lesions and factors predicting cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2+ in women who had 'atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance' (ASC-US) on cervical cytology in the region with a high incidence of cervical cancer. This study was prospectively conducted at Chiang Mai University Hospital, Chiang Mai, Thailand. All women with ASC-US cytology undergoing colposcopic evaluation between October 2004 and August 2008 were recruited. During the study period, 208 women were enrolled. Mean age was 44.4 years. The histopathologic results at the initial evaluation were as follows: CIN 2-3, 21 (10.1%); adenocarcinoma in situ, 3 (1.4%); cancer, 5 (2.4%); CIN 1, 26 (12.5%); and no lesions, 153 (73.6%). Multivariate analysis revealed that nulliparity (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] =4.09; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.04-16.10) and current oral contraceptive use (aOR=2.85; 95%CI= 1.14-7.15) were independent predictors for having CIN 2+ at the initial colposcopy. At the median follow-up time of 6.7 months, CIN 2-3 lesions were additionally detected in 2 women. In conclusion, ASC-US cytology in our population has a relatively high prevalence of underlying invasive carcinoma. Nulliparity and current oral contraceptive use are independent predictors for harboring CIN 2+.

Accuracy of intra-operative frozen sections in the diagnosis of ovarian masses.

The accuracy of frozen section diagnosis in the intraoperative evaluation of ovarian masses is very important with regard to surgeon selection of appropriated operating procedures. For evaluation in our institute, the records of 127 patients with ovarian masses submitted for intraoperative frozen sections between January 2001 and December 2005 were reviewed. After exclusion of 4 completely infarcted masses and 11 cases with deferred frozen section diagnoses, 112 were analyzed for diagnostic accuracy by comparing with the final histologic results. We found sensitivity in the diagnosis of benign, borderline and malignant tumors to be 100%, 84%, and 92 %, respectively, with specificities of 92.7%, 97.9%, and 100%, respectively. The overall accuracy with frozen sections was 94 %. Among 18 patients with deferred or discordant diagnoses, mucinous tumors accounted for 72 % of cases. No over-diagnosis of malignancy or misdiagnosis of metastatic lesions as primary ovarian cancer by frozen sections was observed. In conclusion, the accuracy of intraoperative frozen section for the diagnosis of ovarian masses is high. Frozen sections also help in the evaluation of metastatic tumors to the ovary. Mucinous tumors constitute an important group causing diagnostic discrepancies.

Underlying histopathology of HIV-infected women with squamous cell abnormalities on cervical cytology.

This study was undertaken to evaluate the underlying histopathology of HIV-infected women who had abnormal cervical cytology. HIV-infected women with abnormal cervical cytology undergoing colposcopy at Chiang Mai University Hospital between January 2001 and February 2008 were reviewed. The cohorts were matched and compared with an HIV-negative group. During the study period, 65 HIV-infected women with abnormal cervical cytology were available for review. The abnormal cervical smears were atypical squamous cell (9), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (22), high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (27), and squamous cell carcinoma (7). When stratified by severity of abnormal cytology, HIV-infected women had a higher risk of having cervical intraepithelial neoplasia II or higher, whether the cervical smear showed low-grade (P=0.01) or high-grade abnormality (P=0.04) compared with the HIV negative group. After adjustment by age, parity, and menopausal status, HIV-infected women had 2.56 times the risk of having CIN II or higher (69.2% of HIV-infected women compared with 47.7% of HIV negative women; 95% CI=1.21-5.40, P=0.01). In conclusion, HIV-infected women with abnormal Pap smears are a population subset with a higher risk of significant cervical lesions, irrespective of the severity of abnormal cervical smears.

Factors predicting occult invasive carcinoma in women undergoing a 'see and treat' approach.

This study was undertaken to evaluate the incidence and independent predictors of unexpected invasive cancer of cervix in women with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) on Pap smear who had undergone a 'see and treat' approach. Women with HSIL on cervical cytology undergoing colposcopy, followed by loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) at Chiang Mai University Hospital between January 2001 and April 2006 were analyzed. During the study period, 446 women were identified. Mean age was 45.6 years (range, 25-75 years). One hundred and twenty-one (27.1%) women were postmenopausal. Unsatisfactory colposcopy was observed in 357 (80.0%) women. Of the 446 women, 76 (17.04%, 95% CI=13.67 to 20.86) had invasive lesions on LEEP specimens. Multivariate analysis revealed that unsatisfactory colposcopy and premenopausal status were statistically significant independent predictors for invasive lesions in a 'see and treat' LEEP with an adjusted odds ratio of 4.68 (95%CI=1.82 to 12.03, P<0.01) and 2.10 (95%CI=1.12 to 3.94, P=0.02), respectively. In conclusion, occult invasive lesion of the cervix was noted in 17% of women with HSIL Pap smear who underwent a 'see and treat' approach at our institute. Unsatisfactory colposcopy and premenopausal status were significant independent predictors of having such lesion.

Prognostic value of p53 expression in early stage cervical carcinoma treated by surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prognostic significance of p53 protein expression in patients with early stage cervical carcinoma treated by surgery alone in a well-controlled study. METHODS: A matched case-control study was performed in patients with stage Ib-IIa cervical carcinoma who underwent radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy. Patients had neither lymph node metastasis nor involvement of the parametrium and surgical margins, and did not receive any adjuvant treatment. Cases included 30 patients who had tumor recurrence within 5 years after surgery; controls included 60 patients who were disease-free for at least 5 years after surgery. Cases and controls were within 10 years of age, had the same stage and tumor type, and underwent surgery on as close to the same date as possible. The tumor sizes of cases and controls were within 1 cm of each other. Expression of p53 protein was studied by immunohistochemistry. Expression was considered positive when at least 10% of tumor cells showed nuclear staining. RESULTS: No significant difference of p53 expression was observed between the case group and the control group (33% versus 40%). High histologic grade of tumors and lymphovascular space invasion were significantly associated with tumor recurrence in multivariable analysis (p=0.012 and 0.014, respectively). CONCLUSION: In this study, expression of p53 did not correlate with tumor recurrence. Immunohistochemistry for p53 protein appears to provide no prognostic information in the patients with early stage cervical cancer treated by surgery.

Lymphovascular space invasion as a prognostic determinant in uterine cancer.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) in patients with uterine cancer in terms of lymph node metastasis, recurrence and survival rate. A total of 190 patients with newly diagnosed uterine cancer who underwent total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH), bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO), omentectomy, peritoneal washing or ascitic fluid collection, and pelvic/paraaortic lymph node sampling at Chiang Mai University Hospital between January 1999 and December 2004 were evaluated. All medical records and histopathologic slides were retrospectively reviewed to determine the relationship between LVSI and clinicopathological characteristics. LVSI was present in 79 patients (42%) and significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis (p0.001), BMI 25 kg/m2 (p0.001), advanced FIGO stage (p 0.001), poor histologic grade (p0.001), and deep uterine invasion (p0.001). Patients with LVSI, when stratified by FIGO stage, also had a significant lower 5-year survival rate. For those who had disease recurrence, LVSI and histologic grade were found to be independent prognostic factors in a multivariate analysis. LVSI was one of the prognostic determinants for disease recurrence and associated with poor survival in patients with uterine cancer.

How can the overtreatment rate of "see and treat" approach be reduced in women with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion on cervical cytology?

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and predictors of overtreatment in "see and treat" approach using loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) in women with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) on cervical cytology. The overtreatment was considered when LEEP specimens contained no cervical pathology. Between January 2001 and April 2006, 446 women with HSIL on Pap smear underwent colposcopy followed by LEEP at Chiang Mai University Hospital. Mean age of these patients was 45.6 years with a range of 25-78 years. One hundred and twenty-one (27.1%) women were menopausal. Unsatisfactory colposcopy was observed in 357 (80.0%) women. Of 446 women, histologically-confirmed HSIL, invasive cancer, low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, and adenocarcinoma in situ were detected in 330 (74.0%), 76 (17.0%), 9 (2.0%), and 5 (1.1%), respectively. The overtreatment rate on LEEP specimens was noted in 26 women or 5.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.8 to 8.4) of 446 women. By multivariate analysis, postmenopausal status was the only significant independent predictor of overtreatment with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.89 (95% CI = 1.30 to 6.43, P = 0.009). When postmenopausal women were excluded from analysis, the overtreatment rate was reduced to only 4.0%. In conclusion, "see and treat" approach appears to be an appropriate strategy in managing women with HSIL cytology. The overtreatment rate could be reduced when such policy is limited for premenopausal women.

Factors affecting residual lesion in women with cervical adenocarcinoma in situ after cone excisional biopsy.

The objective of this study was undertaken to evaluate the factors affecting residual lesion in women with adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) on cervical conization specimens. The medical records of women with AIS who had no associated invasive carcinoma after cervical conization and underwent subsequent hysterectomy at Chiang Mai University Hospital were reviewed. During March 1998 and March 2006, 45 women were included for analysis. The mean age was 45.2 years (range, 30-66 years). Thirteen (28.9%) women presented with AIS on Pap smear. Thirty (66.7%) underwent loop electrosurgical excision procedure and the remaining 15 (33.3%) underwent cold-knife conization. Twenty (44.4%) women had mixed lesions of AIS and squamous intraepithelial lesion on cervical specimens. Surgical cone margins were clear in 25 (55.6%) women. Eighteen (40%) and two (4.4%) women had involved and non-evaluable cone margins, respectively. Residual lesion was noted in 14 (31.1%) hysterectomy specimens. There was no residual lesion in women with clear cone margins while 72% and 50% of women with involved and non-evaluable cone margins, had residual lesion, respectively. These differences were statistically significant (P<0.001). No significant association between the ECC results and the residual lesion was noted (P=0.29). In conclusion, approximately one-third of women with AIS on cervical conization have residual lesion on subsequent hysterectomy specimens. Only cone margin status is a significant predictor for residual lesion.

Subjective sonographic assessment for differentiation between malignant and benign adnexal masses.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the accuracy of subjective sonographic assessment in distinguishing between benign and malignant adnexal masses. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional descriptive study. METHODS: The patients scheduled for elective surgery due to adnexal masses were recruited into the study. All patients were sonographically examined within 72 hours of surgery were subjectively evaluated by the experienced sonographer, who had no any information of the patients, to differentiate between benign and malignant adnexal masses based on sonographic morphology. The final diagnoses, used as gold standard, were based on either pathological or operative findings. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty-eight patients with 174 adnexal masses, (benign; 108 and malignant; 66) were recruited into the study. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were of 89.7%, 84.9 % and 92.6 %, 87.5% and 90.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Subjective evaluation of sonographic morphology has high accuracy in differentiating between benign and malignant adnexal masses.

Cytomorphologic comparison between rehydrated air-dried and conventional wet-fixed pap smears.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the cytomorphologic quality of the cervical (Pap) smears between two fixation techniques, rehydration of air-dried smears (AD) versus wet fixation (WF). MATERIAL AND METHOD: Paired-cervical smears (AD and WF) from 172 women who underwent cervical cytology screening at Chiang Mai University Hospital between August 2004 and September 2004 were prospectively evaluated for the cytologic parameters and the staining qualities. RESULTS: The mean age of the 172 women was 41.7 years +/-2 SD 18.1), 27 women (15.7%) were postmenopausal. Absence ofred blood cells in the smear background was significantly more frequent in AD smears than in WF specimens (p = 0.0006). Air-drying artifact was more frequent in AD smears compared to those of WF (p = 0.036) but was of only mild degree in all cases. There was no significant difference between AD and WF smears in the cytoplasmic quality including distinctness of cell border (p = 0.30) and satisfactory staining (p = 0.054). For the nuclear morphology, there was no significant difference between both fixation techniques in the distinctness of nuclear border (p = 0.26) and chromatin crispness (p = 0.23) of the endocervical nuclei. In squamous nuclei, AD smears had higher frequency of indistinct nuclear border and hazy chromatin compared to WF smears (p = 0.003 each). However, these were observed in only mild degree and did not affect the cytologic interpretation. CONCLUSION: The quality of AD smears was slightly inferior to WF smears but was still satisfactory for cervical cytology. AD technique may be acceptable as an alternative to wet fixation in cytologic cervical cancer screening.

Clinicopathological features and prognosis of Thai women with endometrioisis-associated ovarian carcinoma.

This study was undertaken to evaluate the clinical features and survival outcomes of ovarian cancer patients who had associated pelvic endometrioisis. The medical records of 1076 patients with ovarian cancer treated at Chiang Mai University Hospital between 1995 and 2005 were reviewed. Among of these patients, 37 (3.4%) had associated pelvic endometriosis. The mean age of the patients was 44 years (25-62 years). The most common presenting sign and symptom was an abdominal mass (12), followed by abdominal pain (10), abdominal distension (7), abnormal uterine bleeding (2). Twenty-one (56.8%) patients were nulliparous and 14 (37.8%) were single. The stage distribution was stage I (24), stage II (4), stage III (4), and stage IV (1). Four patients had 2 primary carcinomas. The most common histology of the 37 patients was clear cell carcinoma (17) followed by endometrioid carcinoma (11). The estimated 5-year disease - free survival was 55.4%. In conclusion, most patients associated with endometriosis- associated ovarian carcinoma present with abdominal masses and pain. Clear cell CA is the most common histology in ovarian cancer patients who have associated endometriosis. Three fourths of the patients are in stage I and have favorable prognosis.

Clinical outcomes and prognostic factors of node-negative cervical cancer patients with deep stromal invasion or lymphovascular space involvement following radical hysterectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical outcomes and prognostic factors of node-negative cervical cancer patients who had deep stromal invasion (DSI) and/or lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) following radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy (RHPL). MATERIAL AND METHOD: The medical records of 150 node-negative stage IA2-IIA cervical cancer patients who had DSI and/or LVSI after RHPL from 1999 to 2004 were reviewed. RESULTS: Eighty-eight (58.4%) patients were treated with RHPL alone. Twenty-eight (18.7%), 23 (15.4%), eight (5.3%), and three (2%) patients received postoperative chemotherapy, chemoradiation, radiotherapy, and brachytherapy, respectively. Overall, 11 (7.3%) patients developed recurrence. The estimated 5-year disease-free survival of the patients was 90.9%. By multivariate analysis, two factors, age of less than 35 years old and a non squamous histology, were significantly independent prognostic. Eight (5.3%) patients experienced treatment-related complications. CONCLUSION: Node-negative cervical cancer patients with DSI and/or LVSI had excellent clinical outcomes. Young age and non-squamous histology are significant independent prognostic factors.

Northern Thai women with high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion on cervical cytology have high prevalence of underlying invasive carcinoma.

The aim of this study was to determine the underlying pathology of women with high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) on cervical cytology. A total of 681 women with HSIL cytology undergoing colposcopic examination at Chiang Mai University Hospital (CMUH) between January 2000 and December 2005 were evaluated for the underlying cervical pathology. The final pathology was diagnosed from the most severe lesions obtained by punch biopsy, loop electrosurgical procedure, cold knife conization or hysterectomy. Underlying high grade cervical lesions including cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2, 3 and adenocarcinoma in situ were noted in 502 (73.7%) women. Invasive cervical carcinoma was identified in 141 (20.7%). The remaining 38 (5.6%) had either low grade or no intraepithelial lesions. No significant difference in the prevalence of underlying high grade and invasive lesions was noted between women with cytologic diagnosis of HSIL from CMUH and other hospitals. In conclusion, northern Thai women with HSIL cytology are at significant risk of having underlying severe cervical lesions, and especially invasive carcinoma which is detected in approximately one-fifth of the cases.

High-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion with endocervical cone margin involvement after cervical loop electrosurgical excision: what should a clinician do?

This study was undertaken to evaluate the incidence and severity of residual lesions in women featuring high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) histology with endocervical cone margin involvement after the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP). The medical records of women undergoing LEEP at Chiang Mai University Hospital between October 2004 and February 2006 were retrospectively reviewed and 74 cases were identified. Nineteen women were excluded because of loss to follow-up. The remaining 4 were referred to other hospitals and 2 declined re-excision, leaving a study population of 55 women for analysis. Mean age+/-SD of the patients was 48.5+/-8.9 years. Residual lesions were noted in 26 (47.3%, 95%CI=33.7 to 61.2). Four (7.3%) had unrecognized invasive cervical carcinoma in subsequent specimens. In conclusion, approximately half of women with positive endocervical cone margins after LEEP for HSIL histology have residual disease. Repeat diagnostic excision is recommended for evaluation of lesions and severity.

Histopathological outcomes of women with squamous cell carcinoma on cervical cytology.

The aim of this study was to determine the final histopathological outcome for women with a squamous cell carcinoma (SCCA) diagnosed by cervical cytology. The medical records and computerized colposcopic database of patients with SCCA on cytology who underwent colposcopy at Chiang Mai University Hospital between February 2003 and December 2005 were reviewed and 48 women with SCCA cytology were identified (mean age 50 years, range 31-73). Nineteen (39.6%) women were postmenopausal. Unsatisfactory colposcopy was noted in 42 (87.5%). Thirty one (64.6%) of the patients had a final pathological diagnosis of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HGSIL), whereas only 16 (33.3%) had invasive cancer. The remaining one patient had a low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion. Sensitivity and specificity of colposcopic examination for predicting invasive cancer was 50% and 78%, respectively. In conclusion, most women with a SCCA on cervical cytology have high-grade cervical lesions on final pathology, with only one third demonstrating invasive cancer. The loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) remains an important measure for combined treatment and diagnosis.

Clinicopathologic analysis of women with synchronous primary carcinomas of the endometrium and ovary: 10- year experience from Chiang Mai University Hospital.

The aim of this study was to analyze the clinicopathologic features and survival outcomes of women with synchronous primary carcinomas of the endometrium and ovary that were treated at Chiang Mai University Hospital between January 1995 and December 2004. During the study period, 43 women with such tumors were identified. These carcinomas accounted for 0.58% (95%CI=0.42-0.79%) of all gynecologic malignancies. Median age at diagnosis was 49 years (range: 34-60 years). Median body mass index (BMI) was 21.6 kg/m2(range: 15.5-27.7 kg/m(2)). The majority of women (65%) were premenopausal. The most common presenting symptom was abnormal uterine bleeding (42%), followed by a pelvic mass (30%). Twenty-seven (62.8%, 95%CI= 46.7-77.0%) women had concordant endometrioid carcinomas of the endometrium and ovary. Five (11.6%) women experienced tumor recurrence with median follow up 39 months (range: 1-85 months). The overall 5-year survival was 85.2%. There was no significant difference in survival outcomes among the women who had endometrioid/endometrioid histology and those who had other histological subtypes (P=0.674). In conclusion, synchronous primary carcinomas of the endometrium and ovary, although uncommon, should be considered in differential diagnosis in premenopausal women presenting with abnormal uterine bleeding and ovarian tumors. The prognosis of patients with these tumors appears excellent.

Ruptured mature cystic teratomas mimicking advanced stage ovarian cancer: a report of 2 cases study.

Spontaneous rupture of mature cystic teratoma is uncommon. Chronic rupture of teratomas may result in granulomatous peritonitis. In rare cases, the clinical presentation and the intraoperative findings may mimic those of advanced stage ovarian cancers. Two cases of ruptured mature cystic teratomas mimicking malignancy are reported in 50- and 53-year-old patients. Both presented with abdominal distension and weight loss. Elevation of serum CA-125 (233 unit/ml) was detected in one case. Intraoperatively, nodular thickening of the omentum with marked peritoneal adhesion was observed in both cases. Ascites of 1500 ml was present in one case. Pathologic examination in both cases showed ovarian mature cystic teratomas with peritoneal granulomatous inflammations response to the released tumor content. Both patients were followed for 44 and 12 months and were free of symptoms without additional treatment other than surgery. Intraoperative pathologic consultation can help confirm the benign diagnosis and unnecessary major operation for malignancy can be avoided.

A "See and Treat" approach for high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion on cervical cytology.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the final histologic findings as well as to correlate colposcopic and histologic findings in patients who had a high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HGSIL) on the Pap smear and underwent colposcopy followed by LEEP on the "See and Treat" basis without intervening colposcopically directed biopsy. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The medical records of patients with HGSIL on cytology who underwent LEEP without prior cervical biopsy at Chiang Mai University Hospital over a 5-month period were reviewed. The authors summarized the final LEEP histologic results and correlated colposcopic and histologic findings in these patients. RESULTS: Of 55 patients who had a see-and-treat LEEP, 53 patients (96%) had a high-grade intraepithelial lesion or higher. There were 11 patients (20%) who had invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Of 4 patients with a low-grade lesion on colposcopic examination, all had a high-grade lesion or higher on final histology. Forty-four patients (96%) with high-grade impression on colposcopy had high-grade or more severe lesion on the final histologic diagnosis. CONCLUSION: For patients with a high-grade lesion on the Pap smear, LEEP according to the "See and Treat" approach appeared to be a reasonable alternative to conventional colposcopically directed biopsy, especially in low resource settings.