Abstract

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide and the most common cancer affecting females in many developing countries. Conventional Pap smear is the most widely used method with sensitivity of 51% and specificity of 98%. Other screening methods are liquid based cytology, pap net, auto pap, auto screen, visual inspection with acetic acid and Lugols Iodine, HPV DNA testing Colposcopy, Cervicography, Speculoscopy, and polar probes. Portable colposcope is an instrument which overcomes the disadvantages of standard colposcope. The advantages of portable colposcope are low cost, portability and can be used in rural setting for mass screening because of its portability . The aim of the present study is to assess the efficacy of portable colposcope in assessing women with unhealthy cervix .Methodology: Prospective interventional study conducted for 1 year .250 patients who presented with unhealthy cervix and consented for the study are randomly selected. Results: Sensitivity and specificity of pap smear in the present study were 72% and 95% respectively. Sensitivity and specificity of colposcopy were 84.4% and 92.48% respectively. Diagnostic accuracy of pap smear was 88.4%. Diagnostic accuracy of colposcopy was 91.2% in the present study. Conclusion: The diagnostic accuracy of pap smear and colposcopy were good in the present study. The present study finds that colposcopy is safe and effective and reasonably accepted method of investigation for evaluating unhealthy cervices.

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