文摘
The main signs of precancerous anal lesions are pruritus and/or the awareness of a cutaneous lesion, and necessitate a complete anal, genital and oral examination. The diagnosis of intraepithelial neoplasia must however be histological. If there is therefore any suspect lesion or abnormal smear, a biopsy guided using a high-resolution anuscope must be performed, or even an immediate wide surgical ablation. Screening for precancerous anal lesions in populations at risk has been largely inspired by screening for precancerous cervical lesions, and can be done by examining an anal smear in a thin layer preparation or liquid phase. Unfortunately, there is no consensus management for these lesions, and a great deal of data is missing to be able to recommend routine anal cytology screening. In particular, it still remains to be demonstrated that screening and early treatment of precancerous lesions reduces mortality due to cancer of the anal canal in all the populations concerned.