Post-Coital Bleeding: Outcome of Colposcopy Evaluation at a Tertiary Health Centre in North-western Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Bleeding following sexual intercourse is a source of worry and concern for both the patients and the physician. All cases need careful evaluation to rule out underlying malignancy especially in areas where prevalence of cervical cancer is high.

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the outcome of colposcopy among patients presenting with post coital bleeding in our hospital and to determine the incidence of abnormal cervical pathology among the referred women.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of all women referred to the colposcopy clinic on account of postcoital bleeding from January 2016 to December 2020. Data were extracted from the colposcopy clinic record and patients’ folders and analyzed using EPI INFO^TM 7.

Results: A total of 110 patients were referred to the colposcopy clinic on account of post coital bleeding. The mean age of the patients was 37.1 years. Only 48(47%) patients had cervical cytology before referral to the colposcopy clinic. Twelve patients (11.9%) had normal colposcopic findings. Half of the patients (50%) had cervical ectropion. Grade I and II lesions were detected in 8(7.8%) and 9(8.8%) patients respectively. Four patients (3.9%) were diagnosed with invasive cancer of the cervix.

Conclusion: Although cervical ectropion was the commonest cause of postcoital bleeding in our study population, around 17% of the patients had premalignant and invasive cancer of the cervix. Patients with postcoital bleeding should be referred for colposcopy.

Key wards: Post coital bleeding, colposcopy, ectropion