Is Risk for Cervical Pathology Affected by Age?

Older and younger women presented with similar rates of abnormal cervical cytology, but older women often had more-severe histopathologic lesions.

Guidelines for management of women with abnormal cervical findings are based primarily on a large National Cancer Institute study, in which only 19% of participants were older than 35 (JW Womens Health Nov 29 2007). In a retrospective study, researchers evaluated cytologic and histopathologic findings in 359 women (age, ≥35) with cervical dysplasia who were referred for colposcopy. Women aged 35 to 49 were defined as premenopausal (270); older women were defined as postmenopausal (89).

Similar proportions of premenopausal women (60%) and postmenopausal women (65%) who were referred for colposcopy had atypical squamous cells (ASC) or low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL); rates of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL)…

Reviewing Author

Ann J. Davis, MD

Is Risk for Cervical Pathology Affected by Age?

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Reviewing Author