Vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia in patients after total hysterectomy

To investigate the incidence of vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VaIN) after total hysterectomy and, subsequently, optimize the follow-up strategy of patients after hysterectomy.

This retrospective study was conducted on 8581 patients with benign gynecology disease who underwent total hysterectomy in our institution between January 2006 to December 2017, including 834 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and 7747 patients without cervical lesions before hysterectomy. All patients underwent postoperative high-risk human papilloma virus (Hr-HPV) screening and liquid-based cytology test (LCT) as confirmatory tests. Colposcopies were performed if the results of the confirmatory tests were abnormal, and biopsies were performed depending on colposcopy images. The mean follow-up time was 33.8 ± 12.1 months. The relationship among VaIN, CIN, and confirmatory test results was investigated.

VaIN was found in 81 patients after hysterectomy (incidence rate, 0.9%). The incidence rates of VaIN in patients with and without CIN history were significantly different (7.3%, 61/834, vs 0.3%, 20/7747; P < 0.05). Compared with patients without CIN history, those with CIN history were more likely to have abnormal LCT results in the postoperative follow-up, especially low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions or worse (P < 0.001). Patients with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions in the LCT have a high VaIN incidence (patients with CIN history, 57.1%; patients without CIN history, 15.1%), and the 2 patients with squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma (SCC/AC) in the LCT had CIN and VaIN or worse after hysterectomy. The Hr-HPV infection rates after the hysterectomy of patients with and without CIN history were 18.8% (157/834) and 5.4% (419/7747), respectively. The incidences morbidities of VaIN in patients with persistent Hr-HPV infection and in those with and without CIN history were 35.7% and 12.0%, respectively, and were significantly higher than those in patients with negative Hr-HPV (patients with CIN history, 0.7%; patients without CIN history, 0.1%; P = 0.002). The incidence of VaIN in patients with CIN history with HPV-16 infection after hysterectomy was as high as 50%, but in patients without CIN history, the incidences of different Hr-HPV subtypes were not significantly different (P = 0.953).

Patients with CIN history were more prone to VaIN and SCC after hysterectomy than were patients without CIN history. Patients should be screened thoroughly for cervical and vaginal lesions before hysterectomy. After hysterectomy, patients with CIN history should undergo lifetime annual LCT and HPV screening.