Objective: To evaluate the clinical value of domestically manufactured digital colposcope system (SLC-2000) in the detection of early cervical lesions.
Methods: During a follow-up study of patients in Xiangyuan county, Shanxi, a high risk area for cervical cancer, a digital colposcope and an optical colposcope were randomly used for diagnosis, with pathology as the gold standard.
Results: In 163 cervical biopsy specimens, 103 were diagnosed as chronic inflammation by histologic examination. Among 60 specimens which gave abnormal pathology, there were papilloma 1, cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN) I 37, CIN II 18 and CIN III 4. In 33 endocervical curettage specimens, 3 were pathologically positive. Comparing the digital and optical colposcope in diagnosing the positive lesions of > or = CIN I, the sensitivity of the former and latter were 83.3% and 95.0%, the difference without being statistically significant (P = 0.075). The specificity, positive predictive value, and accuracy of these two instruments were 61.2%, 21.4%, 55.6% and 41.3%, 69.3% 48.5%, with significant difference (P = 0.000, P = 0.035, and P = 0.000). In diagnosing > or = CIN II cervical lesions, these three results of the two instruments did not show any significant difference either. The negative predictive value of the digital and optical colposcope were 86.3% and 88.0%, also showing no significant difference (P = 0.075).
Conclusion: The specificity, positive predictive value, and accuracy of the digital colposcope in diagnosing cervical lesions > or = CIN I are all superior to those of the traditional optical colposcope, even though the sensitivity of the latter is higher. There is no difference between the two instruments in diagnosing lesions > or = CIN II. Not only is domestic digital colposcope (SLC-2000) effective, but feasible and practical in the diagnosis, research and follow-up of cervical lesions.