Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2001;23(6):349-354
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032001000600002
Purpose: to evaluate the histopathologic results of cone specimens of patients undergoing loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) and their relationship with the localization of the lesion. Methods: in a retrospective study, 134 clinical reports of patients with abnormal findings of cervical cytology and/or biopsy undergoing LEEP were reviewed. The colposcopic findings were divided into three groups according to the localization of the lesion. Group I (n = 36): patients with ectocervical lesions and fully visible squamocolumnar junction; Group II (n = 50): patients with lesions at the ectocervix and endocervix, and Group III (n = 48): patients with unsatisfactory colposcopy. Results: the mean age in Group I was 33 years and there were 8.3% positive margins. In Group II the mean age was 39 years, with 36% positive margins. Group III had a mean age of 48 years and presented 29.2% positive margins. The percentage of residual disease was 4.2% in Group I, 31.6% in Group II and 35.5% in Group III. Conclusion: patients with lesions at the endocervical canal showed a higher rate of positive margins. Patients with high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia at the endocervical canal and older than 40 years have a greater chance of showing positive margins and residual disease, therefore requiring stricter cytologic and colposcopic follow-up.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2002;24(1):37-43
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032002000100006
Purpose: to determine the factors associated with the detection of a microinvasive carcinoma in the cervical cone of women with a previous colposcopically directed biopsy compatible with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 3 and to evaluate the proportion of involved margins. Patients and methods: we reviewed the medical records of 385 women (mean age: 39 years) submitted to cold conization or conization by high frequency surgery (HFS) with a loop during the period from January 1993 to July 2000. These procedures were indicated on the basis of a biopsy compatible with (CIN) 3. Results: the diagnosis of the cone was compatible with (CIN) 3 in 243 (63%) women and with (CIN) 2 in 13 (3%). Only 10 presented HPV/CIN 1 (3%) and eight had no residual disease in the cone. However, 101 (26%) women presented a microinvasive carcinoma in the cone and 10 (3%) presented a frankly invasive carcinoma. Age, menstrual status and number of deliveries were not related to the severity of the cone lesion. Women with oncologic colpocytology changes suggestive of invasion presented a significantly higher risk of having a microinvasive or invasive carcinoma as determined by final histology (p<0.01), although 52 of the 243 women with CIN 2 or CIN 3 in the cone also showed a suggestion of invasion at colpocytology. Among the women with CIN 2 or 3, the epithelium was white in 44%, dotted in 21%, and mosaic-like in 17%. This proportion was similar for women with a microinvasive or invasive carcinoma, with these images being detected in 37%, 23% and 21% of the cases, respectively. Involvement of the cone margins was significantly higher among women submitted to HFS (49%) than among those submitted to cold conization (29%). Conclusion: the absence of independent clinical and colposcopic factors associated with the detection of a microinvasive carcinoma in women submitted to conization on the basis of a biopsy compatible with (CIN) 3 justifies the conical excision of the squamocolumnar junction in high grade cervical lesions.