Prognosis and recurrence risk for patients with cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions diagnosed during pregnancy

In the current study, the authors sought to examine the prognosis and recurrence risk for patients with cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) diagnosed during pregnancy.

A retrospective review of all women who gave birth at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (Washington, DC) or the National Naval Medical Center (Bethesda, MD) between 1986 and 1997 was performed. One hundred fifty-seven patients with SILs who underwent antepartum and postpartum evaluation were identified from a total of 6248 records of birth at these two institutions. Patient demographics and cervical cytology and histology were reviewed.

One-hundred twenty-nine patients were diagnosed with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSILs) antepartum. Of these patients, 49 (38%) had a previous history of abnormal cervical cytology (30 LSILs and 19 high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions [HSILs]). Twenty-eight patients were diagnosed with HSIL antepartum. Of these patients, 24 (86%) had a history of abnormal cervical cytology. Sixty-two percent of patients with antepartum LSILs had disease regression postpartum, 32% had persistent LSILs postpartum, and 6% experienced progression of an LSIL to an HSIL. All cases of HSIL that were diagnosed antepartum persisted on postpartum cytologic examination. Three patients were found to have microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma after postpartum conization. Five years of follow-up data were available for 98 patients (60%), 78 of whom had antepartum LSILs and 20 of whom had antepartum HSILs. Sixty percent of patients with antepartum LSILs detected on Pap smear developed recurrent LSILs within 5 years, and all 20 patients with antepartum HSILs developed recurrent HSILs within 5 years.

Most cases of LSIL regressed or remained stable during pregnancy. All cases of HSIL diagnosed antepartum persisted in the postpartum period, and 11% of patients with antepartum HSILs were found to have invasive carcinoma postpartum. High rates of recurrence for both LSIL and HSIL were noted 2-5 years after the diagnosis of SIL in the antepartum.