Epidemiological aspects of vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VAIN).

In order to evaluate the natural history of Vaginal Intraepithelial Neoplasia (VAIN), its epidemiological characteristics and the risk of its evolving into Invasive Carcinoma, we studied direct vaginal biopsies from 376 outpatients, we ascertained the predominant disease site and investigated whether the lesions (uni or multicentric) were only vaginal, were present at both the cervix and the vagina or were an extension of cervical lesions (DES-like areas). Moreover, in cervical and vaginal biopsies from 265 patients, we compared the severity of intraepithelial neoplasia of the vagina and cervix. In our series, vaginal lesions accounted for over half (52.

The accuracy of colposcopically directed biopsy in the diagnosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

In order to evaluate the accuracy of colposcopically directed biopsy in the diagnosis of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN), in a series of 164 patients we compared findings from histological serial section of colposcopically directed biopsy with those from histological serial section of the entire lesion after diathermic loop excision. Colposcopically directed biopsy allowed a correct diagnosis to be made in 73 to 76.3% of cases, depending on the importance of the cervical lesion.