Digital Colposcopy in Finding Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia in Patients With An Abnormal Pap Smear

A Pilot Study: Measurement of Digital Colposcopy for Fluorescence Spectroscopy of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia Using a Second Generation Device

RATIONALE: Diagnostic procedures, such as digital colposcopy, may help doctors find and diagnose cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying digital colposcopy to see how well it works in finding cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in patients with an abnormal Pap smear.

OBJECTIVES:

• To identify potential improvements for a noninvasive method of diagnosing cervical dysplasia and neoplasia using the Multispectral Digital Colposcope (MDC), a device that uses fluorescence and reflectance spectroscopy to compare images with histopathologic mapping of the cervical epithelium.
• To measure MDC images in vivo of the cervix using a modified device that makes measurements in seconds rather than over 2 minutes before and after acetic acid.
• To evaluate, preliminarily, the effect of the fading of acetic acid in the image contrast obtained over time to see if this fading can predict the grade of intraepithelial neoplasia.
• To evaluate mapping of the cervix so that software can reconstruct the cervical epithelial map to compare the map with routine colposcopic images as well as with those from the MDC.
• To compare, preliminarily, MDC performance with colposcopy and pathologic analysis of tissue removed after colposcopy in the form of the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP).

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.

Patients undergo routine colposcopy as part of their regular colposcopic evaluation. The digital colposcope is used to take images of the vagina and cervix, pre- and post-acetic acid, using white, green, and blue light. Colposcopically abnormal areas are biopsied; a normal area may also be biopsied. Patients undergoing loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) may undergo one additional biopsy of a colposcopically normal site.

Criteria

Inclusion criteria:

• Included subjects will be ≥18 years old.
• Included subjects will not be pregnant.
• Included subjects will have a negative urine pregnancy test.
• Included subjects will be scheduled for colposcopy and/or LEEP treatment at the VGH Women's Clinic.
• Included subjects will indicate understanding of the study.
• Included subjects will provide informed consent to participate.

Exclusion criteria:

• Individuals <18 years old will be excluded.
• Pregnant individuals will be excluded.
• Individuals that have had an operation to remove their cervix will be excluded.