OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the effectiveness of the hygroscopic dilator in the colposcopic examination of the endocervical canal in patients with high-grade lesion in the cytopathology and unsatisfactory colposcopy. METHODS: prospective study, including 62 patients with unsatisfactory colposcopic examination and cytology compatible with high-grade intraepithelial lesion. The patients were submitted to dilation of the endocervical canal by means of a hygroscopic dilator. After dilation, the new colposcopic findings were recorded, and then conization was made through loop electrosurgical excision procedure. The incidence of neoplasic involvement of surgical margins was compared between patients with examinations modified toward satisfactory results and those that remained with unsatisfactory colposcopy. In order to compare the incidence of involved margins and the incidence of residual disease, two retrospective control-groups were used: the GinSat group (n = 35): patients with unsatisfactory colposcopy; GSat group (n = 38): patients with satisfactory colposcopy and endocervical atypy. RESULTS: 80.6% of the cases presented satisfactory colposcopic vision after dilation. 80.4% of those presented disease-free resection margins. The incidence of disease-free resection margins in patients with persistent unsatisfactory colposcopy after dilation was 36.3%. Affected surgical margins occurred in 28% of the group that had undergone dilation, 28.5% of the cases in GinSat group, and 31.5% in the Gsat group. Follow-up showed the incidence of residual disease in 7.5% of the patients under dilation, 28.5% in the GinSat group and 28.9% in the GSat group. CONCLUSION: the use of hygroscopic dilation improved visualization of lesions of difficult access to the colposcopic examination, thus permitting reduction in the percentage of residual neoplasic disease in patients with unsatisfactory colposcopy treated with loop electrosurgical excision procedure.
Colposcopy; Unsatisfactory colposcopy; Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia
