The diagnosis of uterine cervical polyps in a low resource setting: the positive predictive value of clinical judgment – a series of 192 cases at the Yaoundé Gynaeco-Obstetric and Paediatric Hospital, Cameroon. (April 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Foumane, Pascal; Sando, Zacharie; Dohbit, Julius Sama; Bilo'o, Lydienne Lesly; Mboudou, Emile Telesphore; Oyono, Jean Louis Essame
• Is Part Of: Tropical doctor. Volume 43:Number 2(2013)
• Page Start: 54
• Page End: 56
• Publication Date: 2013-04
• Subjects: Cervical polyp -- clinical diagnosis -- histopathology examination -- direct visual inspection -- sub-Saharan Africa; Tropical medicine -- Periodicals; Medical care -- Developing countries -- Periodicals; Developing Countries -- Periodicals; Tropical Medicine -- Periodicals; Tropische geneeskunde; 616.9883
• DOI: 10.1177/0049475513486783
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0049-4755

Abstract

As far as we know, the accuracy of clinical judgment in diagnosing uterine cervical polyps has not been assessed in sub-Saharan Africa. Our objective was to discover the positive predictive value (PPV) of clinical judgment in the diagnosis of cervical polyps. This is a retrospective descriptive study of 192 patients, carried out by the Departments of Pathology and Gynaecology of the Yaoundé Gynaeco-Obstetric and Paediatric Hospital, Cameroon. The diagnosis of cervical polyp was confirmed by histopathology examination in 169 patients, giving a PPV rate of 88.0%. The PPV of clinical judgment in the diagnosis of cervical polyps is acceptable in our setting but the frequency of premalignant and malignant lesions encountered is too high (10.4%), even in the presence of a confirmed cervical polyp (8.9%). Even in areas where there are limited resources, we recommend a systematic histopathology examination of any clinically suspected cervical polyp.