The correlation between colposcopically directed cervical biopsy and loop electrosurgical excision procedure pathology and the effect of time on thatagreement

Objective. The goal of this study was to evaluate whether colposcopically d irected cervical biopsy accurately predicts histopathology found on loop el ectrosurgical excision procedure specimen and to assess whether this correl ation was affected by a delay in treatment of greater than 12 weeks. Methods. A retrospective review was performed of all cervical biopsy and lo op electrosurgical excision procedure pairs performed at University of Ariz ona Medical Center between March 1992 and March 2000. Agreement was assesse d by K statistics and Spearman rho, coefficients. A subgroup analysis was p erformed to assess the effect of a delay greater than 12 weeks between cerv ical biopsy and loop excision on the histopathologic correlation. Results. An 84% agreement was found between cervical biopsy histopathology and loop electrosurgical excision procedure histopathology when compared to within 1 degree (kappa = 0.78, P < 0.0001; Spearman p = 0.40, P < 0.0001). This agreement remained strong (87%) even when loop electrosurgical excisi on procedure was delayed greater than 12 weeks (kappa = 0.81, P = 0.01). psy correlated strongly with loop specimen histopathology. A delay in loop electrosurgical excision procedure greater than 12 weeks does not negativel y affect this correlation. This delay of 12 weeks may be used safely in the future to test chemotherapeutic dysplasia treatments. (C) 2001 Academic Pr ess.