TIME-INTERVAL EFFECT ON REPEAT CERVICAL SMEAR RESULTS

OBJECTIVE: Second cervical smears obtained at short time intervals oft en exhibit a lesser degree of abnormality than the first smear. We stu died the effect of time interval between smears on diagnoses in two la rge, distinctive cohorts. STUDY DESIGN: Patients with two or move sati sfactory smears with at least one smear or a cervical biopsy showing a typical squamous cells of undetermined significance or greater were se lected. Patients were divided into four subsets by test intervals (day s) (less than or equal to 45, 46-90, 91-120, > 120) and compared stati stically. RESULTS: The distribution of differences between results for the short-interval subsets (< 120) was significantly different (P < . 01) from the interval subset > 120 days. At short intervals the result s revealed loss of sensitivity in the second smear as compared to the initial smear and concurrent biopsies. CONCLUSION: Rapidly repeated ce rvical smears show poor agreement with the biopsy and may be misleadin g. This effect is most pronounced when the interval is < 45 days. Colp oscopists should consider whether concurrent smears shortly after an a bnormal smear are worth performing, given the loss of sensitivity.