Screening for Cervical Abnormalities in Women with Anogenital Warts in an STD Clinic: An Inappropriate Use of Colposcopy

Abstract

An audit of the use of colposcopy in women with anogenital warts was performed. Fifty women attending a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases in a District General Hospital with anogenital warts were examined by cervical cytology and colposcopy for cervical infection by human papillomavirus (HPV) or epithelial abnormality indicating cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) or both. Collated results showed a high prevalence of both conditions in these 50 women; 20 (40%) had evidence of cervical infection by HPV and 11 (22%) epithelial abnormalities consistent with CIN 1 or 2. However, neither CIN 3 nor invasive disease was detected. Colposcopy in this setting was shown to be a specific but insensitive tool and its role in the routine management of women with anogenital warts at our institution is not warranted.