Predictors of Positive Margins at Time of Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure

The aim of the study was to identify factors associated with the presence of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) at surgical margins of loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) pathology specimens.

All women evaluated for lower genital tract disease at a single academic institution were prospectively entered into a database. The database was queried for all women who had a LEEP performed for indications within contemporary American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology guidelines between April 1, 2013, and April 30, 2015. Factors extracted from the database included demographics, contraception, weight, tobacco use, provider volume, resident participation, history of cervical procedure, and pathology features including preceding Pap test category. A positive margin was defined as HSIL on either the endocervical or ectocervical margin of the LEEP specimen or in endocervical curettage specimen after LEEP. We performed univariable statistics to identify factors associated with positive margins and then logistic regression modeling on significant factors for the outcome of positive margins.

Two hundred sixty-nine women were identified. Seventy five (27.8%) of these women had positive margins. Only tobacco use, gravity, parity, and preceding Pap category were significant on univariable analysis. After multivariable analysis, smokers remained more likely to have positive margins (odds ratio = 2.01; CI = 1.12-3.6; p < .01) as did those with preceding HSIL Pap tests (odds ratio = 1.96; CI = 1.13-3.41; p < .01).

In our population, of all the factors assessed, only tobacco use and preceding high-grade Pap tests were associated with positive margins at time of LEEP. This information may be helpful in preprocedural planning to optimize treatment.