title: Clinicopathologic variables predictive of residual dysplasia after cervical conization.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the clinicopathologic variables that are important for predicting residual dysplasia after cervical conization or the loop electroexcisional procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of 80 cases was performed on patients with squamous dysplasia in the conization specimen, endocervical curettage (ECC) performed immediately after resection, margin status reported by the pathologist and adequate postprocedure follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twelve patients had residual dysplasia. No case progressed to invasive carcinoma. A multivariate analysis was performed with presence or absence of residual dysplasia as the dependent variable and patient age, type of procedure (cold knife conization or loop excision), grade of dysplasia, margin status and ECC status as independent variables. Margin status was the strongest predictor of residual disease, followed by ECC status. Patient age had a minimal association with persistence. Of the 12 patients with residual dysplasia, 11 had a positive margin, and 8 had a positive ECC. Only 38% of patients with a positive margin had residual disease, but 67% with a positive margin and ECC had residual dysplasia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Margin status and ECC are useful in predicting residual dysplasia after conization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Naval Medical Center, San Diego, California 92134-5001, USA.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Schermerhorn
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hodge
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Saltzman
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Hackett
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Sprance
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Harrison
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000473:pathology*; D019092:Conization; D004107:Dilatation and Curettage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*