Loop electrosurgical excision procedure in Greek patients with vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of our study was to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) in Greek patients with vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VAIN).


METHODS
Between January 2002 and January 2009, 23 women with histologically confirmed VAIN were included in our study. For the LEEP procedure we used a high frequency electrosurgery unit with at least 80 W output.


RESULTS
Complete response rate at 12 months of follow-up was 86.96%. Recurrence rate at 12 months of follow-up was 13.04%. Complete response rate at 24 months of follow-up was 75%. Recurrence rate at 24 months of follow-up was 25%.


CONCLUSIONS
LEEP may constitute a valuable excisional method for the treatment of VAIN. It provides an interpretable specimen of the whole lesion within a few minutes. It needs a short period of training and has low cost.
Terzakis
E
E
2nd Department of Gynaecology, St. Savvas Anticancer-Oncologic Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Androutsopoulos
G
G
Zygouris
D
D
Grigoriadis
C
C
Derdelis
G
G
Arnogiannaki
N
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000601:surgery*; D004598:Electrosurgery / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D014625:Vaginal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*