Atlas of visual inspection of the cervix with acetic acid for screening, triage, and assessment for treatment / Activity 6

Steps to determine eligibility for ablative treatment – Criteria used to determine eligibility for ablative treatment

  

Ablative treatment can be used to treat an abnormal transformation zone or a normal transformation zone in an HPV positive woman provided the following criteria are fulfilled:

  • The squamocolumnar junction (SCJ) should be fully visible and should be on the ectocervix or at the external os.
  • If there is a visible lesion, it should be on the ectocervix without any extension to the endocervix or to the vagina.
  • If there is a visible lesion, it should not occupy more than 75% of the ectocervix.
  • Size of the transformation zone or size and location of the lesion (when present) should be such that it can be fully covered by the tip of the largest cryotherapy probe (applicable for cryotherapy only).
  • There should not be any suspicion of invasive cancer.
  • There should not be any suspicion of adenocarcinoma in situ (e.g. a cytology report suggesting abnormal glandular cells).


Please note that an HPV positive cervix may appear normal even after application of acetic acid. Some of the criteria mentioned above will not be applicable.



















































  


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