Effect of Human Papillomavirus Subtype on the Rate of Positive Surgical Margin After Cervical Conization

Objective. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a risk factor for cervical carcinoma. Over 100 types of HPV have been identified. The excisional procedures are recommended for women with high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. Surgical margin status is an important predictor of the risk of relapse. The aim of the current study was to evaluate whether HPV genotype is a predictive factor of positive surgical margin after cervical cone excision. Materials and Methods. The records of 448 HPV-infected patients who underwent loop electrosurgical excision or cold knife conization at a tertiary gynecological cancer center were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into 6 groups according to HPV positivity: HPV 16 only, HPV 18 only, HPV 16/18, other high-risk HPV (hrHPV), HPV 16/hrHPV, and HPV 18/hrHPV. Results. There was no significant difference between the HPV groups in terms of age, parity, menopausal status, endocervical canal involvement, conization method, and the rates of positive margin (P = .15, P = .49, P = .07, P = .20, P = .24, P = .39, respectively). Conclusion. The results show that HPV subtypes might not be associated with endocervical canal involvement and the rates of positive margin. In addition, margin status was not related to the conization method and the number of excised cervical tissue.