Evidence against diathermy as a beneficial treatment for human papillomavirus infection of the cervix.

Abstract

An observational study of the influence of diathermy on the rate of subsequent cytological evidence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and/or human papillomavirus infection among women with a histological diagnosis of cervical human papillomavirus infection is presented. After the histological diagnosis of human papillomavirus infection, 35% (23/65) of women who were not diathermied had persistence/recurrence of cytological abnormalities compared with 30% (60/203) of the women who were diathermied at the time of the biopsy. The rate ratio for further abnormality among women who did not have a diathermy relative to those who did was not significantly different at 1.25 (95% confidence interval 0.77-2.03). This study had a power of 77% to detect a true rate ratio of 2 at the 0.05 level of significance. This data does not provide strong evidence that diathermy is appropriate management for women with cervical human papillomavirus infection without evidence of dysplasia.

• Authors: H Mitchell, G Medley
• Journal: The Australian & New Zealand journal of obstetrics & gynaecology (Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol) Vol. 29 Issue 4 Pg. 439-42 (Nov 1989) ISSN: 0004-8666 [Print] Australia
• PMID: 2561048 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Electrocoagulation
• Female
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• Papillomaviridae
• Prognosis
• Recurrence
• Tumor Virus Infections (surgery)
• Uterine Cervical Diseases (surgery)