Human papillomavirus infection in patients with residual or recurrent cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND The main purpose of this longitudinal study was to evaluate the frequency of HPV infection in patients with residual or recurrent CIN. METHODS 797 consecutive patients with CIN, treated with conization, were included. In 38 patients with residual or recurrent CIN in whom reconization was performed, infection with high-risk HPV types was analyzed. RESULTS Reconization was performed in 4.8% of patients. Before reconization, 21 patients (55.3%) were infected with high-risk HPV and 17 patients (44.7%) were HPV negative. Among the HPV-negative patients, two (11.8%) had CIN 1, five (29.4%) CIN 2, nine (52.9%) CIN 3 and one patient (5.9%) had microinvasive cancer of the uterine cervix. The difference in frequency of infection with high-risk HPV was not significant (chi-square 0.372; P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS On the basis of the study results it is not possible to recommend the HPV test as the only method of detection of residual or recurrent CIN after conization.