A Comparison between Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure and Cold Knife Conization for Treatment of Cervical Dysplasia: Residual Disease in a Subsequent Hysterectomy Specimen

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Objective.The purpose of this study was to determine whether the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) is as effective as cold knife conization (CKC) in the removal of cervical dysplasia.Methods.One-hundred sixteen patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia were included: 73 cases treated with LEEP and 43 cases treated with CKC. All of these patients underwent subsequent hysterectomy within 6 months of treatment. A thorough histological evaluation of the cone specimens and post-cone hysterectomy specimens was performed.Results.No residual disease in the post-cone hysterectomy specimens was identified in 63% of the LEEP group and 72.1% of the CKC group. There was no significant difference in the proportion of negative residual disease (P> 0.05). The mean diameters of the base as well as the depth of the cone specimens were smaller in the LEEP group than in the CKC group (P< 0.05). The operating time in the LEEP group was significantly shorter than that of the CKC group (P< 0.05). Although thermal artifacts of margin were found in 8.2% of LEEP specimens, there was no difficulty in histological interpretation. Furthermore, the postoperative complications were similar in both groups.Conclusion.The findings of this study demonstrate that the LEEP is a convenient, safe, and effective treatment for the management of cervical dysplasia. Cone specimens obtained during LEEP are adequate for thorough histological evaluation of cervical dysplasia.