Visual Inspection of Cervix with Acetic Acid as a Screening Test for Premalignant and Malignant Lesions of Cervix

Abstract

Aims and objectives:To compare the efficacy of VIA and Pap smear for detection of premalignant and malignant lesions of cervix. Materials and methods:Two hundred and forty women atten ding outpatient department of obstetrics and gynecology were subjected to detailed history taking, clinical examination, Pap smear and VIA, and biopsies were indicated.Results: Of 240 patients, 27 patients (11.3%) were Pap posi tive and 28 patients (11.7%) were VIA positive. A total of 39 patients in whom either test was positive, had undergone cervical biopsy. Sensitivity of VIA and Pap smear was 92 and 84% respectively and specificity of VIA and Pap smear was 64.3 and 57% respectively. Conclusion:The study concluded that sensitivity of VIA is comparable to Pap. Therefore, VIA is an efficacious and cost effective method to screen premalignant and malignant lesions of cervix, especially in developing countries like ours.

Cervical Cancer Screening with Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid and Lugol as Primary Screening Test, a Comparable Result to Conventional PAP Smear in Northern Cameroon

“…However considering the robust meta-analysis made by Peirson et al on 24 studies, it emerges that the use of PAP Smear screening is associated with a reduction in the incidence of invasive cervical cancer and cervical cancer mortality [19]. Giving this fact the value of PAP Smear as controls is based on substantial protective effect that it has demonstrated [20,21]. In this study made on 307 women from the Nord West region of Cameroon, taking PAP Smear as the standard test, we found that VIA and VILI screening methods displayed sensitivity and specificity above 92% and 97% respectively, corresponding as described in other studies, to a large overlapping between visual inspection methods and PAP Smears [22,23].…”