Vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia: diagnosis and management

A review of 42 patients with vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VAIN) seen in Gynecologic Department of Veterans General Hospital-Taipei between 1971 and 1987 was made. The patients were from 36 to 79 years of age with a mean 58 of years. Fifteen patients (36%) had synchronous cervical neoplasia, 26 cases (62%) had antecedent cervical neoplasia and one had undergone operation for uterine myoma. Twenty-four of 27 patients with VAIN alone presented an abnormal Papanicolou smear. The upper one third of the vagina was the most common site of the lesion. Multifocal lesions were demonstrated in 58% cases while unifocal disease accounted for 42% cases who had VAIN subsequent to cervical neoplasia. Colposcopically directed biopsies were used for diagnosis in 13 patients. White epithelium and punctation were the most common findings of VAIN. While the results of different treatments were reviewed, surgical excision was found to be the most frequently employed method and radiotherapy was the second. Both were effective and 5 patients died of vaginal disease. On account of the relatively benign nature of VAIN than that of invasive vaginal cancer and the need for preservation of a functional vagina, more conservative approaches, for example, topical 5-Fluorouracil application and carbon dioxide laser vaporization, are discussed.