High-grade CIN on cervical biopsy and predictors of the subsequent cone histology results in women undergoing immediate conization
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Updated: Apr 17, 2026
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Published on: February 16, 2024
Luca Giannella1, Kabala Mfuta1, Giorgio Gardini2
1Local Health Authority of Reggio Emilia, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cesare Magati Hospital, Scandiano, Italy; Cervical Cancer Screening Centre, IRCCS-Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Objective:
To identify the clinical/colposcopic variables that associate with low-grade/negative cone histology in screening-age women undergoing conization for high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). The follow-up outcomes of study participants were also compared.
Study Design:
In this retrospective cohort study, 585 consecutive screening-age women who underwent immediate conization for CIN2-3 were divided according to cone histology (CIN2+ versus ≤CIN1) and assessed in relation to clinical/colposcopic variables by univariate and multivariate analyses.
Results:
Low-grade [adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=52.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) 22.49-123.34] or normal (AOR=9.81, 95% CI 2.38-40.44) colposcopic impression and CIN2 on cervical biopsy (AOR=19.59, 95% CI 6.62-57.92) associated with CIN1/negative cone histology. Multivariate analysis also showed that Eastern European ethnicity (AOR=0.13, 95% CI 0.03-0.52) and high-risk-Human Papillomavirus (hr-HPV)-positivity (AOR=0.38, 95% CI 0.17-0.87), associated with CIN2+ cone histology. Overall, there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of high-grade recurrence during the 2-year follow-up. Conversely, a higher rate of high-grade recurrence was present in CIN2-3 (positive cone margins) than in CIN1/negative cone histology (21.9% versus 7.4%, P=0.008, respectively).
Conclusion:
The presence of CIN2 on cervical biopsy and a low-grade colposcopic impression were predictive of a minor cone histology, unless the subject was of East European ethnicity or was positive for hr-HPV test. Given the follow-up outcomes, the same women need to perform a close monitoring. However, positive cone margins in women with CIN2-3 cone histology seem to define a population at greater risk of high-grade recurrence.
