COLD-KNIFE CONIZATION VERSUS LOOP EXCISION - HISTOPATHOLOGIC AND CLINICAL-RESULTS OF A RANDOMIZED TRIAL

Ninety patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) were ran domly assigned to loop excision (n = 38) or cold-knife conization (n = 52). All specimens were well evaluable at histology. The average widt h of the lesions at histology was 10.2 and 9.7 mm, respectively (ns). The average weight of the specimens was 2.6 and 5.6 g (P < 0.01) and t he average depth was 9.2 and 15.8 mm (P < 0.01), respectively. The dis tance between the cervical resection margin and CIN was 14 mm after lo op excision and 24 mm after cold-knife conization (P < 0.06). The marg ins of the specimen were not clear of disease in 8 patients after loop excision and in 12 patients after conization (ns). Two patients after loop excision and in three patients after cold-knife conization had p ostoperative bleeding. The results suggest that, compared with cold-kn ife conization, loop excision removes less healthy tissue without redu cing the chances for cure. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.