Antibiotic Therapy for ASCUS Is Ineffective

The finding of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) on a Papanicolaou smear mandates further testing for a more definitive diagnosis. A repeat smear is usually taken 3 to 6 months after an initial ASCUS finding, with subsequent referral for colposcopic examination of the cervix if ASCUS is again diagnosed. Frequently, women with ASCUS are empirically treated with antibacterial medication in an attempt to normalize the cervical smear.

These U.S. investigators randomized 84 women with ASCUS to receive either 37.5 mg of vaginal metronidazole or placebo gel twice daily for 5 days. The women were not pregnant and did not have a history of abnormal Pap smears. A repeat Pap smear was taken 3 months after therapy. Twenty-two …