High-risk cervical epithelial neoplasia grade 1 treated by loop electrosurgical excision: follow-up and value of HPV testing.

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to evaluate the value of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) testing in the follow-up of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1/low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion treated by loop electrosurgical excision procedure because of the risk criteria established by the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ie, unsatisfactory colposcopy or positive endocervical curettage, persistence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1/low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, or high-risk HPV infection for longer than 2 years and older than 40 years). STUDY DESIGN: Seventy-seven women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1/low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion treated by loop electrosurgical excision procedure and followed-up with colposcopy, cytology, and high-risk HPV detection using Hybrid Capture II. RESULTS: More than 67% (67.6%) of women had cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 in the specimen; 22% a cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2-3; and 10.4% had no lesion. Pretreatment HPV testing was positive in 100% of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2-3, in 93.5% of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 1, and in 14.3% of cases with no lesion (P < .01). Pretreatment high-risk HPV testing was positive in all cases eventually developing residual/recurrent disease. Fifty percent of women with pretreatment viral load more than 100 relative light units had residual/recurrent disease develop. Posttreatment high-risk HPV testing during the follow-up reached a sensitivity and negative predictive value of 100% for detecting residual/recurrent disease. CONCLUSION: Patients with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion/cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 and risk factors have a significant risk of harboring a cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2-3 lesion. A conservative approach should be considered when basal high-risk HPV test is negative. High pretreatment high-risk HPV loads should be considered a risk factor for developing residual/recurrent disease. Posttreatment Hybrid Capture II has an extremely high sensitivity for detecting recurrences.