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Abnormal Pap Smears/Colposcopy
If you receive a phone call from us informing you that your pap smear is abnormal, the following will help you understand your abnormality and what we will do to treat you. Below is a basic understanding of categories of pap smears from normal to more abnormal. Please do not panic as you DO NOT have cervical cancer.
- Normal Pap Smear
- Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance without Human Papilloma Virus (ASCUS, neg HPV) / Variant of Normal Pap
- Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance with Human Papilloma Virus (ASCUS, pos HPV)
- Atypical Gladular Cells of Undetermined Significance
- Low Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion (LGSIL)
- High Grade Sqamous Intraepithelial Lesion (HGSIL)
- Carcinoma In Situ (CIS)
- Cervical Cancer
Any of the above pap smears that are bold and underlined will require a procedure called a colposcopy to evaluate your cervix. A colposcopy will help me determine if the abnormality requires any further treatment or whether I only have to follow you with additional pap smears through the year.
Colposcopy
This is a procedure that I do in the office. While performing an additional pap smear, I look at your cervix with a special microscope after applying vinegar solution over the cervix. The vinegar solution causes any significant abnormalities to appear white.
If I see any significant lesions, I may need to do a biopsy of the area for evaluation in the lab. DO NOT worry about this biopsy. Most women do not even feel it being done. Your cervix does not have nerve endings like your skin. I will then use medicine that will stop any bleeding at the biopsy site. This can cause some cramping like menstral cramps. If you want to take some Ibuprofen prior to your procedure, this can help with the cramping.
The results from the colposcopy will take about 1-2 weeks to receive. Unless the results require that we do any further procedures, I will usually see you back for a pap smear in 3-6 months.
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