Cervical conization, which is the recommended treatment for cervical intraepithelial neoplasias (CIN) grade 2 and 3 due to the overall high risk of progression to cervical cancer of these lesions, can be performed using traditional technique (cold-knife conization), laser conization and through the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) [1–3]. Moreover, operator experience, costs, patients’ clinical conditions, equipments availability may be a consideration in choosing between these techniques [4]. Despite these diVerences, many randomized studies have demonstrated that all of the aforementioned techniques present satisfactory and similar results in the treatment of high-grade lesions of the uterine cervix as long as the entire transformation zone is removed [4]. Independent of the type of conization performed, inWltration of the surgical margins by the neoplastic process is a frequently observed reality. The main reasons related to this occurrence are the use of inadequate surgical techniques (failure in learning, teaching hospitals), extensive cervical lesions and lesions with higher histological grading [5]. It is known that positive surgical margins may inXuence the postoperative evolution of patients submitted to cervical conization. So, some authors recommend further excision in cases of incomplete excision of CIN in conization specimens [6–8]. We evaluated prospectively 76 patients operated on for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN 3); cervical conization was performed using the LEEP technique. All patients included in the study were attended at the Santa Casa Sao Paulo Hospital in the period ranging from January of 2003 to September of 2004. Informed consent was obtained from each patient and the ethics committee of the hospital approved the research. We included in our study all patients diagnosed with CIN 3 on cervical conization specimens, regardless of age, menopause and parity. The exclusion criteria adopted were malignant neoplasia, systemic infectious or immunosuppressive disease, clinical cervical and vaginal infection, previous treatment of the cervix and use of potentially immunosuppressant or immune stimulating medications. Patients from study group (76 women) had ages between 17 and 65 years (mean of 39.34 § 10.74 years). Seven women had not been pregnant before and the other 69 referred one to 11 pregnancies (mean of 3.65 § 2.55). Regarding the habit of smoking, 31(41%) of the patients were smokers and 45 (59%) were nonsmokers, with 17 (40%) patients of the latter category being former smokers. Fourteen (18.5%) of the women were in the postmenopause period and 62 (81.5%) were in the menacme. Hormonal contraception was used by 14 women (18.5%). The histological sections related to the selected cases were evaluated by the same pathologist to conWrm the histopathological diagnosis. The specimens’ surgical margins were also evaluated and were classiWed as either free or inWltrated/aVected by the neoplastic process. The patients with histopathological sections demonstrating inWltrated surgical margins had their Wrst follow-up 4 months after conization while those with free margins were evaluated only after 6 months. This evaluation consisted of cervical cytology and colposcopy with punch biopsy, if necessary. In case, these exams were negative, the patient would be evaluated every 6 months during a period of 2 years. For A. B. Campaner (&) · F. A. Cardoso Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Santa Casa of Sao Paulo Medical School, Av Reboucas, 1511 ap. 142-CEP 05401-200, Jd. America, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil e-mail: abcampaner@terra.com.br