Impact of oophorectomy and hormone suppression in low grade endometrial stromal sarcoma: A multicenter review.

OBJECTIVES: Low grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (LG-ESS) is a rare cancer with an indolent course. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of adjuvant hormonal suppression (HT) with or without oophorectomy (BSO) in prolonging progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with LG-ESS. METHODS: We performed a multi-institutional retrospective review of patients treated for low grade LG-ESS from 1985 to 2014. Demographics, treatment and recurrence data were abstracted from medical records. Pathologic diagnosis was confirmed by a gynecologic pathologist. Long-term patient-reported outcomes were obtained via mailed survey. RESULTS: One-hundred-twelve patients underwent surgery for LG-ESS; 59 had postoperative data with a median follow-up of 55months (1-325months). The mean age at diagnosis was 48.5years (22-82years). Forty-nine (61%) had stage I disease. The most common presenting symptoms were abnormal uterine bleeding (38%) and pelvic mass (17%). Seventy-one (63%) patients had BSO at the time of diagnosis. Of the 59 patients with postoperative follow-up information, 49 (73%) underwent BSO, 26 (44%) received HT, 20 (33%) were expectantly managed, and 6 (10%) received chemotherapy, radiation or both. Median PFS for the entire group was 53months and OS was 63months. PFS for those who underwent BSO compared with those who retained their ovaries was 38 vs 11months, p=0.071. PFS for HT vs no HT was 28 vs 23months, p=0.77. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with prior series, our results support BSO to prolong PFS in LG-ESS but are limited by sample size. Larger studies with more complete follow-up are needed to determine the effect of adjuvant hormonal suppression.

Photoimmunotherapy of human ovarian carcinoma cells ex vivo.

Photodynamic therapy is a relatively new and potentially selective experimental approach to the treatment of malignant neoplasms. Its inherent dual selectivity is reinforced by the use of photosensitizer-monoclonal antibody conjugates. The goal of this study was to evaluate the phototoxicity and selectivity of an immunoconjugate (IC) synthesized from a chlorin derivative chlorin e6-monoethylenediamine monoamide (CMA) as the photosensitizer and an anti-ovarian carcinoma monoclonal antibody OC125. Binding efficiency and specificity of the IC were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and specific covalent linkage of the monoclonal antibody to the photosensitizer was demonstrated by fluorescence and electrophoresis. Phototoxicity was tested against ascites or pleural fluid cells from 15 patients with ovarian and nonovarian cancers. Tumor cells from the fluid were treated with the IC at 3 microM equivalent CMA concentration and irradiated at 654 nm (lambda max CMA in IC) at 25 J/cm2 from an argon ion-pumped dye laser. Phototoxic efficacy was assayed by [3H]thymidine incorporation. Ovarian cancer cells exhibited high cytotoxicity with [3H]thymidine incorporation of 2.4 +/- 2.2%, while nonovarian cancer cells under identical conditions exhibited none to reduced cytotoxicity with [3H]thymidine incorporation of 70 +/- 54%. Using a Wilcoxon test, there was a statistically significant difference between these two groups (P less than 0.001). Dose-response curves revealed reciprocity in photosensitizer concentration and fluence. These results demonstrate that photoimmunoconjugates retain significant antigen binding specificity and affinity, are effective in the selective photochemical eradication of target cells, and merit further evaluation as photochemotherapeutic agents.

Teaching and evaluating surgical skills.

OBJECTIVE: To examine how surgical skills are taught and evaluated in obstetrics-gynecology residency programs in the United States. METHODS: A questionnaire was mailed to the directors of all 266 residency programs in the United States and to second contact names at 51 sites. Directors were asked to evaluate how surgical skills are taught and evaluated and to rate the importance of specific techniques and procedures for residents at given points in resident training. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-three surveys were returned (70%), representing 203 of 266 programs (76%). Among responding programs, 99% reported teaching surgical skills in operating rooms, 88% in lectures, 68% with bench procedures, and 54% with animal surgery. Twenty-nine percent indicated they had formal surgical skills curricula. A significantly higher percentage of those programs with formal curricula used animal surgery laboratories (81% versus 42%, P <.001) and were more likely to conduct formal skills assessments (88% versus 69%, P =.005) than programs without formal curricula. Overall, 74% of programs evaluated surgical skills. Of those, 56% reported using subjective faculty evaluations, 12% written evaluations (eg, checklists), 4% written and oral assessments, and 1% a test. Regardless of formal curricula, there was much agreement in respondents' ratings of 60 different skills and procedures as "essential," "important," "nice to know," or "unimportant. CONCLUSION: Most programs teach surgical skills in the operating room and through lectures. Only 29% of reporting programs provide formal surgical curricula. Evaluation of surgical skills is usually done by subjective evaluation, a technique with unknown validity and poor reliability.

Small chest-tube drainage followed by bleomycin sclerosis for malignant pleural effusions.

OBJECTIVE: To review our experience with bleomycin sclerotherapy as treatment of pleural effusions due to gynecologic malignancies. METHODS: Twenty-one women with histologically documented malignant effusions (16 ovarian carcinoma, three uterine sarcoma, and two cervical cancer) were treated with small flexible chest-tube drainage followed by intrapleural bleomycin sclerotherapy (60 units). RESULTS: After placement of the chest tube, suction was required for a median of 5 days (range 3-12) before output was low enough (less than 100 mL/24 hours) to instill bleomycin. Among 24 treated effusions, there was a 71% overall response rate, including ten complete responses (42%) and seven partial responses (29%); seven effusions (29%) did not respond to therapy. Six of the seven patients whose effusions did not respond to bleomycin died of disease within 2 months of attempted sclerotherapy. Fever was the most common side effect, occurring in 13 of 21 patients (62%) following instillation of bleomycin. Pain during sclerosis was reported by only two patients. CONCLUSIONS: Bleomycin sclerotherapy after small flexible chest-tube drainage of malignant pleural effusions is an effective technique, with minimal adverse reactions, for controlling effusions that develop in women with gynecologic malignancies.

Pseudomyxoma peritonei: a review of 23 cases.

OBJECTIVE: To review the experience at the Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women's Hospitals with 23 women treated for pseudomyxoma peritonei between 1961 and 1991. METHODS: Patients were identified retrospectively from the tumor registry at the Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women's Hospitals, and all charts were reviewed. The median follow-up interval was 2.5 years (range 3 months to 31 years). RESULTS: The mean age at diagnosis was 58 years (range 26-76). Pseudomyxoma peritonei was found in association with ten (44%) ovarian tumors of borderline malignancy, nine (39%) ovarian cystadenocarcinomas, and four (17%) appendiceal cystadenocarcinomas. Three patients had synchronous tumors in the ovary and appendix. All patients underwent surgical staging and cytoreduction. Eleven patients received postoperative therapy and, of these, nine developed a recurrence; 12 patients received no further therapy and, of these, three developed a recurrence. However, these groups were not pathologically comparable. With respect to survival, of the ten patients with borderline malignancies, seven had no evidence of disease, one was alive with disease, and two died of disease. For the nine patients with ovarian cystadenocarcinomas, three had no evidence of disease, one was alive with disease, and five died of disease (median time to death 18 months). For the four patients with appendiceal carcinomas, two had no disease, one was alive with disease, and one died with disease. Among all 23 patients, 12 (52%) developed a recurrence, with a range of time to first recurrence of 3 months to 19 years. Eight women required at least one additional laparotomy because of accumulation of gelatinous material. CONCLUSIONS: Although pseudomyxoma peritonei is associated with borderline and well-differentiated tumors, recurrence is common and the prognosis after recurrence is guarded. Involvement of the appendix is common; therefore, appendectomy is indicated when pseudomyxoma is encountered. To date, surgery has been the only effective therapy for this disease, and adjuvant therapy has not been shown conclusively to be of benefit.

Endocervical glandular atypia in Papanicolaou smears.

The importance of endocervical glandular atypia in a cervicovaginal Papanicolaou smear has not been fully investigated. Between July 1988 and June 1989, 21,930 cervicovaginal smears were reviewed by the Massachusetts General Hospital Cytopathology Laboratory. One hundred smears with endocervical atypia were identified, an incidence of 0.46%. Follow-up was available on 63 cases: Seven had negative follow-up smears for at least 2 years, 15 had negative biopsies, seven had endocervical polyps, two had endometrial hyperplasia, eight had mild dysplasia, five had moderate dysplasia, six had severe dysplasia, six had squamous carcinoma in situ, five had adenocarcinoma in situ, and two had invasive adenocarcinoma. Twelve women's smears showed endocervical atypia with features suggestive of reactive atypia; three of these had dysplasia. Twenty-six (41%) of the Papanicolaou smears with endocervical atypia had coexisting squamous atypia or dysplasia. We conclude that endocervical atypia may be associated with substantial cervical disease in as many as half of cases.

Post-hysterectomy carcinoma of the fallopian tube mimicking a vesicovaginal fistula.

A 49-year-old woman presented with a profuse watery vaginal discharge 16 years after a vaginal hysterectomy. Pelvic examination revealed clear fluid leaking from the vaginal apex. Cytologic evaluation of the draining fluid was normal, as was a biopsy of the vaginal apex. A vesicovaginal fistula was suspected. Intravenous pyelogram and cystogram did not reveal communication of the urinary tract with the fistula. Injection of radiopaque dye through the fistula tract demonstrated a 5-7-cm enclosed cystic space with a 4-cm pedunculated mass within the cyst lumen. Exploratory surgery revealed fallopian tube carcinoma involving the right tube. The tumor mass was completely excised, and there was no evidence of spread beyond the encapsulated cystic fallopian tube. The woman was treated with six cycles of cisplatin combination chemotherapy, and after 5 years remains free of disease.

Development of a bench station objective structured assessment of technical skills.

OBJECTIVE: We have previously shown that objective structured assessment of technical skills performed in an animal model was an innovative, reliable, and valid method of assessing surgical skills. Our goal was to develop a less costly bench station objective structured assessment of technical skills and to evaluate the feasibility, reliability, and validity of this exam. METHODS: A seven-station examination was administered to 24 residents. The tests included laparoscopic procedures (salpingostomy, intracorporeal knot tying, closure of port sites) and open abdominal procedures (subcuticular closure, bladder neck suspension, repair of enterotomy, abdominal wall closure). All tasks were performed using life-like surgical models. Residents were timed and assessed at each station using three methods of scoring: a task-specific checklist, a global rating scale, and a pass/fail grade. RESULTS: Assessment of construct validity, the ability of the test to discriminate among residency levels, found significant differences on the checklist, global rating scale, time for procedures, and pass/fail grade by level of training. Reliability indices calculated with Cronbach's alpha were 0.77 for the checklists and 0.94 for the global rating scale. Overall interrater reliability indices were 0.91 for the global rating scale and 0.92 for the checklists. Total cost for replaceable parts and facilities was $1900. CONCLUSION: The less costly and more portable bench station objective structured assessment of technical skills can reliably and validly assess the surgical skills of gynecology residents. This type of examination can be a useful tool to identify residents who need additional surgical instruction, provide remediation, and may become a mechanism to certify surgical skill competence.

Development of an objective structured assessment of technical skills for obstetric and gynecology residents.

OBJECTIVE: To develop an objective structured assessment for evaluating surgical skills of obstetrics and gynecology residents and to evaluate the reliability and validity of the assessment. METHODS: A seven-station, objective, structured assessment of technical skills was administered to 24 residents. The test included laparoscopic procedures (port placement, salpingostomy, suturing, vessel ligation) and open abdominal procedures (hypogastric ligation, repair of enterotomy, salpingo-oophorectomy.) All surgical tasks were done on pigs. Residents were timed and assessed at each station using three methods of scoring, a task-specific checklist, global rating scale, and pass-fail grade. RESULTS: Assessment of construct validity (the ability of the test to discriminate among residency levels) found significant differences on the checklist and the global rating scale by residency level. Reliability indices calculated with Cronbach's alpha were 0.89 for the global rating scale and 0.89-0.95 for the individual skills checklists. Interrater reliability was 0.87 for the global rating scale and 0.78-0.98 for the checklists. CONCLUSION: Objective, structured assessment of technical skills can assess residents' surgical skills with high reliability and validity. These assessments have possible application for identifying residents who need additional training and might provide a mechanism to ensure competence of surgical skills.

Clinicopathologic variables, operative characteristics, and DNA ploidy in predicting outcome in ovarian epithelial carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that DNA content can predict operative morbidity and survival in patients with ovarian carcinoma. METHODS: Subjects included patients diagnosed with invasive epithelial ovarian carcinoma at Brigham and Women's Hospital between July 1987 and November 1989. Fifty-nine patients were included in this analysis. In all cases, flow cytometry was performed on fresh tissue to evaluate DNA content. The medical records were reviewed in all patients for estimated blood loss, hospitalization days, intensive care unit days, operating room time, presence and size of residual disease, grade and type of tumor, stage, size of primary tumor, lymph node status, disease status, date of last examination, and number of months of follow-up. RESULTS: Predictors for death included increasing age (P = .01), advanced stage (P = .007), the presence of malignant ascites (P = .03), residual tumor at completion of operation (P < .001), increased estimated blood loss (P < .001), increased hospitalization days (P < .001), and increased operating room hours (P < .001). When we controlled for age and stage, only estimated blood loss and residual tumor predicted poor outcome. Deoxyribonucleic acid ploidy, whether stratified as diploid or aneuploid or with DNA index cutoffs, did not predict tumor recurrence or survival rates. CONCLUSION: Deoxyribonucleic acid ploidy has not yet been proven to be of independent prognostic importance for identifying groups of patients at high risk of dying from invasive epithelial ovarian carcinoma.

Oncogene expression: long-term compared with short-term survival in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if oncogene overexpression in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer correlates with survival. METHODS: Twenty-two women with stage III ovarian cancer, observed for a median of 66 (range 48-204) months were compared with 30 with a median survival of 18 (range 2-28) months. Using immunocytochemistry, tumors were immunostained for overexpression of p53, c-erb-B-2, and epidermal growth factor receptor and were evaluated quantitatively for expression of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and Ki-67 antigen, a marker of cellular proliferation. RESULTS: The median age of long-term survivors was 52 (range 30-76) years compared with 55 (range 36-80) years for short-term survivors. Optimal cytoreduction was achieved in 11 of the 22 long-term survivors compared with seven of the 30 short-term survivors, a significant difference (P=.05). The average level of Ki-67 expression was 43% in long-term survivors and 64% in short-term survivors (P=.007). Overexpression of p53 was seen in 54% of long-term survivors and 80% of short-term survivors (P=.05). A combination of Ki-67 level of 50% or greater plus p53 overexpression was seen in 22% of long-term survivors compared with 68% of short-term survivors (P=.005). Epidermal growth factor receptor, c-erb-B-2, estrogen receptor, and progesterone receptor statuses did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Markers that did not correlate with survival included the hormone receptors, estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor, and the oncogenes, c-erb-B-2 and epidermal growth factor receptor. Long-term survivors with advanced ovarian cancer were more likely to have had an optimal cytoreduction and lower levels of Ki-67 antigen expression and were less likely to overexpress p53 than were short-term survivors.

Formal teaching of surgical skills in an obstetric-gynecologic residency.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a formal teaching program of basic surgical skills in an obstetric-gynecologic residency program and evaluate its effectiveness. METHODS: A surgical skills program was developed for all residents. Using bench and animal laboratory sessions, residents were given instruction and performed both laparoscopic and open abdominal procedures. All were given a pretest and were tested again 6 months later. Residents also evaluated their experiences. RESULTS: To date, the formal teaching sessions have been given to 24 residents, all of whom believed their confidence and technical skills improved as a result of the sessions. On a scale of 1 to 5, the median rating of the bench laboratory experience was 5 (range 4-5), and the pig laboratory was 5 (range 4-5). All residents believed the surgery sessions should be continued and the number of sessions increased. Preliminary evaluation indicated that time to suture a 10-inch incision decreased by 28%, from an average of 225 (standard deviation [SD] 51) seconds to 171 (SD 43) seconds (P < .001), and evaluation of surgical technique significantly improved at the second pretest (P = .013). Laparoscopic placement of pegs on a board in 2 minutes increased from an average of 5 (SD 2.5) to 7.3 (SD 2.6; P = .001). The cost of the bench laboratory sessions was minimal. Each pig was approximately $100, and the facility charge for each 4-hour laboratory session was $1500. CONCLUSION: When formal surgical training was given to obstetric-gynecologic residents, their surgical skills improved subjectively and objectively.

Port-site recurrence after laparoscopic surgery for endometrial carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Women with endometrial carcinoma are being treated with laparoscopic surgery, but the risk of port-site recurrences remains undefined. CASE: A 58-year-old woman underwent laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and laparoscopic lymphadenectomy for endometrial cancer. Final surgical stage was IA, with grade 2 histology. Twenty-one months later, she developed a 5-cm recurrent tumor mass at a lateral laparoscopic port site. The mass was resected, and a restaging laparotomy performed, without evidence of other metastases. Radiation therapy was administered to the involved anterior abdominal wall. Two and one half years later, there is no evidence of recurrence. CONCLUSION: An isolated laparoscopic port-site recurrence might be attributable to the initial laparoscopic management of an otherwise good-prognosis endometrial carcinoma.

Prognostic importance of intraoperative rupture of malignant ovarian epithelial neoplasms.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether rupture of malignant ovarian epithelial tumors at the time of operation influences the patient's overall prognosis. METHODS: Between 1975 and 1990, 79 patients with stage I invasive epithelial ovarian cancer were treated at Massachusetts General Hospital. Patients were identified from the tumor registry, and charts were reviewed retrospectively. In 71 of the 79 cases, pathologic slides were evaluated. Of the 79 patients, 36 had stage Ia tumors, 20 stage Ic secondary to intraoperative rupture (Ic-rupture), and 17 stage Ic secondary to capsular invasion-serosal disease or positive ascites or washings (stage Ic-other). Survival analysis was performed to compare the three groups of patients. RESULTS: There were four recurrences and deaths among the 20 women with stage Ic-rupture tumors (20%), compared to one (3%) among the 36 women with stage Ia. The recurrence-free survival at the median follow-up time for the two groups was 97 +/- 3 and 78 +/- 10 months, respectively (P = .03); overall survival was 97 +/- 3 and 73 +/- 12 months (P = .04). There were two recurrences (12%) and one death (6%) among the 17 women with stage Ic-other, giving recurrence-free and overall survivals of 88 +/- 8 and 94 +/- 6 months, respectively. The survival experience of this last group was not significantly different from that in the Ic-rupture group (P = .2). The hazard ratios for overall survival associated with stage Ic-rupture and each potential confounder, except for bloating, exceeded 6.5, with P < or = .10. All deaths occurred in the 28 patients with grade 2 or 3 tumors. Even in this smaller group, the hazard ratio for stage Ic-rupture was 6.8 (P = .09). CONCLUSION: Intraoperative rupture of malignant epithelial ovarian neoplasms may worsen the prognosis of patients with stage I ovarian cancer.

Adenocarcinoma in situ of the uterine cervix.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of cervical conization in women with adenocarcinoma in situ and to determine whether a select group of women could be managed by conization alone without hysterectomy. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 40 cases of cervical adenocarcinoma in situ diagnosed on cervical conization. RESULTS: Cervical conization revealed adenocarcinoma in situ alone in 15 women. Twenty-five women had adenocarcinoma in situ coexisting with squamous dysplasia (23) or microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma (two). Twenty-two women underwent hysterectomy after cone biopsy. Adenocarcinoma in situ was detected in the hysterectomy specimen in one of 12 women with uninvolved cone margins, versus seven of ten women with involved margins (P = .006); two of these seven women also had foci of invasive adenocarcinoma in the hysterectomy specimen. Conization was the only treatment for 18 selected women with adenocarcinoma in situ and uninvolved margins; all were relapse-free after a median interval of 3 years (range 1.5-5). CONCLUSIONS: Women with cervical adenocarcinoma in situ diagnosed by conization who have positive margins are at high risk of residual adenocarcinoma in situ and moderate risk of occult invasive adenocarcinoma; expectant management is not warranted. However, a cone biopsy with uninvolved margins can reliably guide subsequent therapy. Selected young women who desire preservation of fertility and have uninvolved margins probably can be managed by conization alone, but further study is required to establish the safety of this approach.

Effects of photodynamic therapy with topical application of 5-aminolevulinic acid on normal skin of hairless guinea pigs.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a relatively new approach to the treatment of neoplasms which involves the use of photoactivatable compounds to selectively destroy tumors. 5-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is an endogenous substance which is converted to protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) in the synthetic pathway to heme. PpIX is a very effective photosensitizer. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of PDT using topical ALA on normal guinea pig (g.p.) skin and g.p. skin in which the stratum corneum was removed by being tape-stripped (TS). Evaluation consisted of gross examination, PpIX fluorescence detection, reflectance spectroscopy, and histology. There was no effect from the application of light or ALA alone. Normal non-TS g.p. skin treated with ALA and light was unaffected unless high light and ALA doses were used. Skin from which the stratum corneum was removed was highly sensitive to treatment with ALA and light: 24 h after treatment, the epidermis showed full thickness necrosis, followed by complete repair within 7 d. Time-dependent fluorescence excitation and emission spectra were determined to characterize the chromophore and to demonstrate a build-up of the porphyrin in the skin. These data support the view that PDT with topical ALA is a promising approach for the treatment of epidermal cutaneous disorders.

Gunshot wounds to the gravid uterus. A case report.

A pregnant woman sustained an abdominal gunshot wound during the second trimester; the bullet injured multiple loops of bowel and passed through the uterus, placenta and fetus. Although the stillborn fetus was delivered by cesarean section, a review of the literature indicated that operative delivery is not indicated when the fetus has died already. Labor and delivery are well tolerated, and an unnecessary hysterotomy is thus avoided. If labor does not ensue spontaneously, it can be induced. Approximately 40% of fetuses will survive the initial injury. In past reviews the risk of prematurity often outweighed the benefits of delivery of those infants. Advances in neonatology now make survival routine after 28 weeks' gestation, and viable fetuses should be delivered promptly by cesarean section to decrease the risk of delayed death from fetal or placental injury.

Tuberculous endometritis presenting as postmenopausal bleeding. A case report.

Genital tuberculosis presented as postmenopausal bleeding in a woman with third-degree procidentia. After two months of combination antimycobacterial treatment, she underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy followed by nine months of postoperative drug therapy.

Recurrent ovarian granulosa cell tumor: role of combination chemotherapy with report of a long-term response to a cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and cisplatin regimen.

We report a patient who, at age 43, underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for an unrupted 10 cm granulosa cell tumor. A recurrence was subtotally totally resected 2.5 years later, followed by six cycles of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and cis-platin (CAP) chemotherapy. She had no evidence of disease at second-look laparotomy. Serum estradiol (E2) levels paralleled her clinical course, becoming elevated at the time of her recurrence, and returning to postmenopausal levels during her chemotherapy. Four years later, further elevation in E2 heralded a second recurrence of tumor. The patient underwent a cytoreductive procedure and has resumed chemotherapy. Reports of the few other patients treated with multiagent chemotherapy are reviewed. Several combinations appear active, with the CAP regimen having possibly less toxicity. Compared with radiotherapy, chemotherapy may yield longer survival in patients with recurrent granulosa cell tumor, but actual cure remains elusive.

Large loop excision of the transformation zone in patients with exocervical squamous intraepithelial lesions.

This study was undertaken to determine factors influencing the success of loop excisions. One hundred twenty-seven women with exocervical intraepithelial lesions underwent large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ); 102 returned for evaluation at 3 months. The pretreatment biopsies were low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LGSIL) in 37 cases and high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HGSIL) in 90. For the 37 women with LGSIL, the LLETZ specimen revealed no residual SIL in 13 (35%), LGSIL in 16 (43%), and HGSIL in 8 (22%). For the 90 women with HGSIL on pretreatment biopsy, 17 (19%) had no SIL, 10 (11%) had LGSIL, and 63 (70%) had HGSIL. Of the 102 women who returned for reevaluation, colposcopy was satisfactory in 89. There were 9 failures and all of these occurred in women with HGSIL in the LLETZ specimen. In the 17 women with involved margins there were 6 failures (35%); in the 85 women with uninvolved margins there were 3 failures (4%) (p = 0.005). The success of loop excisions is influenced by the grade of intraepithelial neoplasia and status of the margins of the LLETZ specimen.