Cold-knife conization versus conization by the loop electrosurgical excision procedure: a randomized, prospective study.
OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to compare the diagnostic ability and treatment efficacy of conization by the loop electrosurgical excision procedure with cold-knife conization.


METHODS
One hundred eighty women who required conization for diagnosis and treatment of cervical dysplasia or microinvasive cervical carcinoma were prospectively enrolled in a randomized clinical trial to receive either cold-knife conization or conization by the loop electrosurgical excision procedure. Conization complications, rate of lesion clearance, and therapeutic outcome were assessed for the 2 study groups.


RESULTS
There were no statistically significant differences in the complication rate (P = 1.00), the rate of lesion clearance (P =.18), or the rate of disease recurrence (P =.13) between the 2 study groups. The mean follow-up was 11.2 months in the cold-knife conization group and 10.4 months in the loop-excision conization group.


CONCLUSIONS
Cold-knife conization and loop-excision conization yield similar diagnostic and therapeutic results.
Duggan
B D
BD
Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pathology, and Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, USA.
Felix
J C
JC
Muderspach
L I
LI
Gebhardt
J A
JA
Groshen
S
S
Morrow
C P
CP
Roman
L D
LD
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D001706:Biopsy; D019092:Conization / Q000379:methods*; D004598:Electrosurgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery