CHRONIC VULVAL SYMPTOMS: COMPARISON OF VARIOUS DIAGNOSTIC METHODS

The aim of our study was to compare the various diagnostic modalities for evaluation of chronic vulval symptoms. We studied 100 women presenting with chronic vulval symptoms who underwent examination of vulva with low magnification, scrape cytology, colposcopy & directed biopsy. The overall sensitivity and specificity for detecting vulvar lesions was 29.87% and 100% with low magnification 58.44% and 13.04% with cytology 77.92 % and 17.39 % with colposcopy. We concluded that clinical examination with or without magnification can detect most of the neoplastic lesions. Colposcopy and cytology have high negative predictive value and provide reassurance in absence of disease.