Cure rates after laser conization for early cervical neoplasia

Follow-up results by vaginal cytology and colposcopy after laser conization for early cervical neoplasia in 333 patients are reported. 95.7% of all the women were free from disease after 4-24 months. The separate figure for very early invasive carcinoma was 96.4% and for CIN III through CIN I it was 96.6%, 94.9% and 90.6% respectively. The cure rate depended on whether or not the resection margins of the cones were free from epithelial cells with atypia. The highest cure rate, 97.8%, was noted for CIN III with margins free from atypical cells. Out of patients not free from disease, 92.9% were detected at the first follow-up at 4--6 months after conization and represent persistent disease. Laser conization seems to give at least as good cure rates as laser vaporization and has the chief advantage that histopathological evaluation is available both for the whole lesion and the resection of the cones. The procedure can be safely performed on an out-patient basis.