Objective: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of a new technique of cervical imaging and to consider its potential as a secondary cervical screening method.
Design: A prospective cross-sectional study with each case acting as its own control, comparing video colpography with colposcopy.
Setting: University of Birmingham colposcopy clinics, City Hospital and Birmingham Women's Hospital.
Participants: Fifty women referred for colposcopy.
Interventions: The women had a video colpogram recording made prior to colposcopy.
Main outcome measures: The proportion of technically suitable colpograms obtained and the level of agreement between colposcopist and video screener.
Results: The images were satisfactory or good in 94% cases, and there was a very high level of agreement between colposcopist and video screener (kappa = 0.79). If the technique had been used in a primary health care setting as a secondary screening method for women with low grade cervical smear abnormalities, 61% would have avoided referral for colposcopy.
Conclusions: Video colpography is an accurate, portable and quick method of cervical imaging. It combines the simplicity of a video camera with the versatility of computerised digital imaging and has great potential in the fields of teaching, audit and screening of low grade smear abnormalities.