Development and validation of a predictive model for endocervical curettage in patients referred for colposcopy:A multicenter retrospective diagnostic study in China

Objective:This study aimed to develop a nomogram that can predict occult high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions or worse(HSIL+)and determine the need for endocervical curettage(ECC)in patients referred for colposcopy.Methods:This retrospective multicenter study included 4,149 patients who were referred to any one of six tertiary hospitals in China for colposcopy between January 2020 and November 2021 because of abnormal screening results.ECC data were extracted from the medical records.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors that could predict HSIL+on ECC.Patients were randomly assigned to a training set or to an internal validation set for performance and comparability testing.The model was externally validated and tested in patients from two additional hospitals.The nomogram was assessed in terms of discrimination and calibration and subjected to decision curve analysis.Results:HSIL+was found on ECC in 38.8%(n=388)of cases.Our predictive nomogram included age group,cytology,human papillomavirus(HPV)status,visibility of the cervix and colposcopic impression.The nomogram had good overall discrimination,which was internally validated[area under the receiver-operator characteristic(AUC),0.839;95%confidence interval(95%CI),0.773-0.904].In terms of external validation,the AUC was 0.843(95%CI,0.773-0.912)for the consecutive sample and 0.843(95%CI,0.783-0.902)for the comparative sample.Calibration analysis suggested good consistency between predicted and observed probabilities.Decision curve analysis suggested this nomogram would be clinically useful with almost the entire range of threshold probabilities.Conclusions:This internally and externally validated nomogram can be easily applied and incorporates multiple clinically relevant variables that can be used to identify patients with occult HSIL+who need ECC.

The Importance of Endocervical Curettage in an Old Post-Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure Woman with Abnormal Cervical Cytology and a Normal Punch Biopsy Histology:A Case Report and Literature Review

Endocervical curettage(ECC)is an optional practice during colposcopy,and the indication for endocervical curettage(ECC)is controversial between Europe and the USA.Here,we explored the value of ECC in a specific situation.An elderly post-loop electrosurgical excision procedure woman,who had undergone a colposcopy 4 months before,went for her follow-up and abnormal cytology was found,and both the ECC and punch biopsy showed negative results.Then,a second ECC was performed,which led to the diagnosis of a high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion.This case report shows that ECC is useful for diagnosing elderly women with Type 3 squamocolumnar junction.