Treatment of vaginal dysplasia and carcinoma in situ with topical 5-fluorouracil.

Seventeen patients, after abnormal Papanicolaou smears, were found to have vaginal lesions ranging from moderate dysplasia to carcinoma in situ. They were evaluated by colposcopy and biopsy. They were treated with topical 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in the vagina, administered by the patient twice a day for 10 to 14 days. The outlet of the vagina and the vulva were protected with zinc oxide ointment. The patients were followed up with Papanicolaou smears, colposcopy, and biopsy as indicated; all patients have remained free of further dysplasia for 2 to 5 years. The majority of the patients had undergone irradiation for some type of genital malignancy. Topical application of 5-FU in the vagina may prove to be a useful method of therapy for patients with vaginal dysplastic lesions, especially after radiation therapy.