Colposcopy of adenocarcinoma in situ and invasive adenocarcinoma of the cervix.

Colposcopy is most useful in evaluating squamous lesions of the lower genital tract. Its usefulness in evaluating glandular abnormalities of the uterine cervix now are limited. There are abnormal features in invasive adenocarcinoma of the cervix that allow the colposcopist to make that diagnosis with directed punch biopsies. The biopsy specimens should be large enough to allow the pathologist to make the diagnosis of invasion. At the present time, the colposcopic features of adenocarcinoma in situ are not well recognized. It must be stressed that where adenocarcinoma in situ is suspected colposcopically or by cytology, the definitive diagnostic procedure remains cone biopsy.