Objective: The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of laser CO(2) vaporization for conservative treatment of ectocervical high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) particularly by the evaluation of the reappearance risk of disease in long-term follow-up.
Methods: One hundred fifty-nine patients were submitted to CO(2) laser vaporization for high-grade CIN and followed up for a minimum of 5 years. Selection of cases, depth of ablation, complications, and cure rate (percentage of treated patients in whom there was no recurrent/persistent high-grade CIN at the 5-year follow-up examination) were retrospectively evaluated.
Results: Selected cases for colposcopy were submitted to a 6-mm mean depth of vaporization without intra- or postoperative complications. The cure rate for a single treatment was 97.5% and a satisfactory colposcopic follow-up was possible in 99.4% of treated patients. No case of invasive carcinoma occurred after a mean follow-up of 7.1 years. Four cases (2.5%) were high-grade CIN persistence observed after a mean time of 3.75 months, suggesting incomplete destruction of the deepest part of the lesion involving the glandular crypt base.
Conclusions: Long-term follow-up proves that laser CO(2) vaporization still has a place in the treatment of CIN. In selected cases it represents a safe alternative for conization in the treatment of high-grade CIN, but colposcopic expertise is essential for adequate preoperative selection of cases.