Prediction of persistence or recurrence after conization for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III.

Objective: To estimate the predictive factors for persistent/recurrent disease before and after conization for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III.

Methods: Patients who received conization due to histologic diagnosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III from 1998 to 2000 and who had at least one cytologic/histologic follow-up within one year of conization (n = 449) were enrolled in our study. All available demographic and pathologic parameters were analyzed.

Results: We performed multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify predictive factors for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III persistence/recurrence. Age (greater than 50 years) was the only preoperative predictor and had an odds ratio equaling 3.070 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.421-6.630, P = .004). Post-cone endocervical curettage was found to be the most statistically significant factor for predicting persistent disease (odds ratio 7.940, 95% CI 3.428-18.390, P < .001). Positive endocervical curettage was associated with 65.5% (36/55) of persistent disease, whereas negative endocervical curettage was associated with only 7.6% (26/342). Positive endocervical resection margins and multiple-quadrant disease also had predictive values with odds ratios equaling 2.972 (95% CI 1.401-6.281, P = .004) and 2.180 (95% CI 1.014-4.689, P = .046), respectively. The positive predictive values for age (> 50 years), positive endocervical curettage, positive endocervical resection margin, and multiple quadrant disease were 31.7%, 65.5%, 40.0%, and 21.9%, respectively.

Conclusions: We found that age is the only preoperative predictive factor. Pathologic parameters, including endocervical curettage, endocervical resection margins, and multiple-quadrant disease are the only postoperative predictive factors for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia persistence or recurrence found in our study. These factors should be considered in patient management before and after therapeutic conization for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III. Methods: II-3.