Vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia: risk factors for persistence, recurrence, and invasion and its management

Our purpose was to profile patients with vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia, evaluate the response to treatment and define risk factors for persistence and progression.

We reviewed records and histopathology slides of 94 patients with vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia diagnosed from 1977 to 1986. For 74 patients with follow-up, we evaluated risk factors by univariate and multivariate analyses.

Sixty-four of 94 patients (68%) had prior or concurrent anogenital squamous neoplasia, including 21 with invasive and 43 with intraepithelial. Twenty-three had prior radiotherapy, 10 had anogenital neoplastic syndrome, and 11 were immunosuppressed. In 52 of 74 treated patients (70%), vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia went into remission after a single treatment. In 18 patients (70%) vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia went into remission after a single treatment. In 18 patients (24%) recurrent vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia went into remission after chemosurgery, upper vaginectomy, or other treatments; in 4 (5%) it progressed to invasion. Significant multivariate risk factors for persistence or progression were multifocal lesions and anogenital neoplastic syndrome but not vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia grade, associated cervical neoplasia, or immunosuppression.

Although most vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia goes into remission after treatment, 5% of cases may progress from occult foci to invasion in spite of close follow-up.