The histologic reliability of laser cone biopsy of the cervix

Laser conization of the cervix has been advocated as the technique of choice for the treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in preference to ablative techniques, because it provides a specimen for histologic diagnosis while retaining the advantages of an outpatient procedure with minimal short- and long-term morbidity. To determine whether specimens so obtained are adequate for reliable histologic diagnosis, we reviewed 77 laser conizations performed for lesions confirmed to contain CIN in a colposcopically directed biopsy and satisfying the criteria for local ablation and scored the cones for the presence of epithelial denudation and laser coagulation artifact that interfered with the diagnosis of CIN or the assessment of the margins of excision. Thirty specimens (39%) were negative for CIN. Twenty-eight (36%) showed extensive epithelial denudation, ten (13%) contained coagulation artifact that made recognition of CIN extremely difficult or impossible, and in 11 (14%), assessment of margins was extremely difficult or impossible because of laser coagulation artifact. We conclude that these difficulties with the histologic interpretation of laser cone specimens make it an unsuitable excisional technique when reliable histologic diagnosis of cervical lesions is required.