TRANSVAGINAL SONOGRAPHY IN PATIENTS WITH PATHOLOGICAL CERVICAL EXFOLIATIVE CYTOLOGY OR HISTOLOGICALLY VERIFIED CERVICAL-CARCINOMA

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate whether detection of c ervical carcinoma or cervical dysplasia is possible with the use of tr ansvaginal sonography (TVS). Method: TVS was performed in 215 patients with pathological cervical cytology (PAP III-V), suspicious clinical findings or histologically verified carcinoma of the cervix. Results. Cone biopsy in 54 patients with suspicious cytology and normal cervica l features revealed 26 cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CI N) 0-II and 19 cases of carcinoma in situ. Sonography failed to detect cervical carcinoma in only nine cases (stages Ia, Ib and IIa). False- positive results of TVS were associated in no cases with CIN 0. In 161 cases with suspicious cervical lesions, 133 invasive cancers and 23 c arcinomas in situ were detected. The most striking cytological finding was that 92% of patients with PAP III/IIID and abnormal sonographic s igns, and 7% with normal sonographic results and suspicious PAP, had c ancer of the cervix uteri. Conclusion: We conclude that TVS could be u sefully applied to the routine pretreatment evaluation of patients wit h cervical carcinoma.