Post-cervical conization outcomes in patients with high-grade intraepithelial lesions

To investigate the rates of residual, recurrent and invasive disease after cervical conization in patients diagnosed with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grades 2/3. A retrospective study was conducted with 274 patients undergoing cervical conization due to diagnosis of CIN 2/3. Cervical conization was done through the Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP) and Cold Knife Conization. Data related to personal, familial, gynecological, and obstetric antecedents, as well as surgical specimens margins were collected from medical records. The outcome after conization was evaluated, including the time of follow-up and disease recurrence. The outcome after conization was not associated with age of menarche (p=0.920), age of the first sexual intercourse (p=0.533), number of parturition (p=0.063), number of sexual partners (p=0.328), immunosuppression (p=0.225), smoking habit (p=0.193), and conization type (p=0.198). However, the outcome presented a significant association with age (p<0.001), pregnancy numbers (p=0.009), use of hormonal contraception methods (p=0.016), menopause (p=0.007), type of margins (p=0.011), and cone histological results (p=0.030). The routine control of all patients who had undergone cervical conization is obligate, independently of surgical margins, due to the risk of disease recurrence; the older patients and those with CIN 3 should have a more rigorous follow-up.