Awareness and Knowledge Levels of Turkish College Students about Human Papilloma Virus Infection and Vaccine Acceptance.

Awareness of HPV by the target population is an important determinant of vaccine acceptance. The aim of this study is to evaluate the awareness of HPV infection and acceptability of the HPV vaccines among Turkish college students. College students aged 18-30 who were attending a large public university in Ankara participated in this study. The participants were asked to complete a questionnaire to elicit demographic characteristics, awareness level of HPV and HPV vaccine, and willingness to be vaccinated. One thousand one hundred sixty students responded to the invitation email and completed the questionnaire. The mean scores of female students about HPV and HPV vaccine were 7.1/15 and 3.6/9, respectively, while these scores were 7.9/15 and 3.4/9 among male students, respectively. While 51 % percent of female and 33.5 % of male students had heard of HPV and 32.8 % and 18 % of them had heard of HPV vaccine, respectively, only 1.5 % of female and 0.4 % of male students had been vaccinated against HPV. A total of 507 students (43.7 %) had previously heard of HPV. Only 309 (26.6 %) of the participants had previously heard of the HPV vaccine, and 45.1 % of the students were willing to receive HPV vaccination. The main predictors for willingness to be vaccinated were the following: sexual experience, sexual behavior, past history of sexually transmitted infection (STI), and knowledge about HPV and HPV vaccine. Higher awareness levels of HPV and HPV vaccine are significantly related to greater willingness to be vaccinated, and the main reasons for rejecting the vaccine were insufficient information about the vaccine and possible unknown side effects.

The Impact of Surgical Staging on the Prognosis of Mucinous Borderline Tumors of the Ovaries: A Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The purpose of this study was to prove the effect of complete surgical staging of patients with mucinous borderline ovarian tumors (mBOTs) especially appendectomy on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The database of 14 gynecological oncology departments from Turkey and Germany were comprehensively searched for women who underwent primary surgery for an ovarian tumor between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2015, and whose final diagnosis was mBOT. RESULTS: A total of 364 patients with mBOT with a median age of 43.1 years were included in this analysis. The median OS of all patients was 53.1 months. The majority of cases had Stage IA (78.6%). In univariate and multivariate analyses, radical surgery, omentectomy, appendectomy, lymphadenectomy, and adding adjuvant chemotherapy were not independent prognostic factors for PFS and OS. Furthermore, FIGO stage (≥IC vs.

The outcomes of intestinal resection during debulking surgery for ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical and surgical outcomes of intestinal resection during primary debulking surgery for ovarian cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted at Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Training and Research Hospital between 2009 and 2013. The patients who underwent intestinal resection during debulking surgery for stage 3 ovarian cancer were included in the analysis. Data regarding patient age, body mass index, tumor histology, disease stage, the site of intestinal resection, all postoperative complications, duration of intensive care unit admission and hospital stay were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 22 patients with a mean age of 53.4 years were included in the study. Optimal cytoreduction was achieved in 14 (63%) patients. Transverse colectomy was the most common type of intestinal resection (63%). The most common postoperative complication was transfusion of blood products (63%). No postoperative mortality was observed. CONCLUSION: Intestinal resection is a crucial part of debulking surgery for advanced ovarian cancer, with acceptable complication rates. Despite the limited number of patients, the results obtained from the present study are comparable with previous reports.

Prognostic factors in endometrial clear cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To document the experience regarding patients treated for endometrial clear cell carcinoma (ECCC), with reference to clinical, biochemical, histopathologic, and prognostic features. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-six ECCC patients, diagnosed and treated between 2008 and 2014, were reviewed retrospectively. From the hospital records, all data related to patients' demographic, clinical, biochemical, and histopathologic assessments and adjuvant therapy adjustments were evaluated. Disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and 5-year cumulative survival rates (CSR) were estimated as well as prognostic factors associated with OS. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 22.7 months, and the mean age at diagnosis was 64.0 years. Fourteen (53.8 %) women had early stage and 12 (46.2 %) women had advanced-stage disease. There were 17 (65.3 %) patients with pure clear cell carcinoma and 8 (30.7 %) patients with mixed histology on the hysterectomy specimen. Extra-uterine disease occurred more frequently in patients with pure ECCC and elevated CA-125 concentrations. Seventeen (65.3 %) patients received adjuvant platinum and taxane chemotherapy with (n: 13/17, 76.4 %) or without radiotherapy in the form of external beam radiotherapy (ERT) and/or vaginal brachytherapy (BRT). The rest of the patients (n: 9/26, 34.6 %), who had tumor with no or limited myometrial invasion without LVSI, impaired general health status, and non-compliance-to-post-operative treatment proposal received no adjuvant therapy. The mean DFS and OS were 49.54 and 50.01 months, respectively, with the 5-year CSR of 46.4 %. The mean OS was significantly shorter in patients with higher pre-operative CA-125 values, >2 cm tumor diameter, myometrial invasion ≥1/2, cervical involvement, uterine serosal and/or adnexal invasion, lymph node metastasis, and, thus, with advanced-stage disease. Uterine serosal invasion was the only significant prognostic factor associated with OS in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Increased pre-operative serum CA-125 levels are associated with advanced-stage disease, and uterine serosal involvement is a significant prognostic factor associated with OS in women with ECCC.

The Possibly Reversible Isotretinoin Effect of Decreased Ovarian Reserve in Sprague-Dawley Albinos: Part I, Biochemical Analyses.

BACKGROUND: The study aims to determine the detrimental effects of 7.5 mg/kg/day isotretinoin treatment on the anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels in an experimental study to see whether the effects on ovarian reserve are reversible. METHODS: Blood was sampled in 16 Sprague-Dawley albinos before any treatment to see baseline AMH levels. Then, the rats were randomly divided into 2 groups. Control group received only 1.0 ml soybean oil per oral for 30 days, whereas the study group received 7.5 mg/kg/day isotretinoin suspended in soybean oil. AMH levels were measured at the 30th day - immediately after the last medication - and on 60th day - 1 month after the last medication. RESULTS: The mean values of AMH levels were 8.16 ± 1.47, 6.95 ± 1.87, 6.27 ± 0.71 and 8.20 ± 1.48, 6.56 ± 1.45, 7.07 ± 0.96 ng/ml before, immediately after and 1 month after the last medication in the control and isotretinoin treatment group, respectively. The mean AMH levels significantly decreased (p = 0.02) immediately after isotretinoin administration. The mean AMH levels 1 month after the last dose of isotretinoin therapy were higher than the levels immediately after the medication; however, the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that exposure to isotretinoin is responsible for decreased AMH levels in experimental rat model and this effect seems to be reversible.

Borderline ovarian tumors: clinical characteristics, management, and outcomes - a multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: The optimal surgical management and staging of borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs) are controversial. Institutions have different surgical approaches for the treatment of BOTs. Here, we performed a retrospective review of clinical characteristics, surgical management and surgical outcomes, and sought to identify variables affecting disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with BOTs. METHODS: A retrospective review of ten gynecological oncology department databases in Turkey was conducted to identify patients diagnosed with BOTs. The effects of type of surgery, age, stage, surgical staging, complete versus incomplete staging, and adjuvant chemotherapy were examined on DFS and OS. RESULTS: In total, 733 patients with BOTs were included in the analysis. Most of the staged cases were in stage IA (70.4 %). In total, 345 patients underwent conservative surgeries. Recurrence rates were similar between the conservative and radical surgery groups (10.5 % vs. 8.7 %). Furthermore we did not find any difference between DFS (HR = 0.96; 95 % confidence interval, CI = 0.7-1.2; p = 0.576) or OS (HR = 0.9; 95 % CI = 0.8-1.1; p = 0.328) between patients who underwent conservative versus radical surgeries. There was also no difference in DFS (HR = 0.74; 95 % CI = 0.8-1.1; p = 0.080) or OS (HR = 0.8; 95 % CI = 0.7-1.0; p = 0.091) between complete, incomplete, and unstaged patients. Furthermore, receiving adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) for tumor stage ≥ IC was not an independent prognostic factor for DFS or OS. CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing conservative surgery did not show higher recurrence rates; furthermore, survival time was not shortened. Detailed surgical staging, including lymph node sampling or dissection, appendectomy, and hysterectomy, were not beneficial in the surgical management oF BOTs.

Optimal cone size to predict positive surgical margins after cold knife conization (CKC) and the risk factors for residual disease.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the optimal cone size to achieve a reliable sensitivity and specificity for clear surgical margins after cold knife conization (CKC). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The medical reports of patients who had high-grade cervical intraepithelial lesions, carcinoma in situ, or stage 1A1 microinvasive carcinoma in their CKC specimens between June 2008 and January 2015 were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: In total, 315 women fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The mean age of the patients was 40.7 years. The conization results were microinvasive carcinoma and high-grade squamous lesion (HSIL) for 8 and 307 patients, respectively. Ninety-nine patients had positive surgical margins. Eighty-one patients with positive cone margins underwent the repeat excisional procedure and 35 of them showed residual disease. In the univariate analyses, the patient age, menopausal status, and mean cone height parameters showed statistically significant differences between the patients with positive and negative margins. Also, residual disease was associated with the menopausal status and age of the patients. CONCLUSION: There is no optimal cone depth that is applicable for all patients. The most important predictors for positive margins are the menopausal status of the patient and that more than two quadrants are involved. However, the menopausal status and age of the patients were still predictors for residual disease.

Clinicopathologic characteristics and treatment features of women with the incidental diagnosis of endometrial adenocarcinoma during infertility follow-up in Ankara, Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and laboratory features of patients with the incidental diagnosis of endometrial adenocarcinoma (EC) during infertility work-up, with special attention given to treatment approaches, recurrence rate, and fertility outcome. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The medical records of 577 patients who were diagnosed with EC and treated between 2007 and 2013 were included in the study. Out of 577 EC patients, 5.1% (n = 30) were ≤ 40 years of age. However, 10 patients had a history of infertility and had been diagnosed during evaluation for infertility. Patients' clinical and laboratory data were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The mean age at diagnosis was 34.3 ± 4.5 years and the mean duration of infertility was 5.1 ± 4.7 years. Immediate staging surgery was performed on three patients. The others were treated with oral megestrol acetate and/or a levonorgestrel-containing intrauterine device (IUD) for 6 months. The mean duration of postoperative or postdiagnostic follow-up was 44.7 ± 25.9 months. The disease persistence and recurrence rates were 11.1% and 22.2%, respectively. Two patients achieved pregnancy naturally or by assisted reproductive technology (ART) trial. CONCLUSION: The investigation of patients during infertility work-up provides an opportunity to evaluate the endometrium and its malignancies in young women, when the disease is in its early stage and symptom free. The standard surgical treatment for early-stage EC is total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. However, conservative management of early stage EC with progestational drugs, especially in young patients who wish to preserve their fertility, is acceptable with the possibility of future pregnancies.

Diagnostic Impacts of Serum CA-125 Levels, Pap Smear Evaluation, and Endometrial Sampling in Women with Endometrial Clear Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Endometrial clear cell carcinoma (ECCC) is a rare variant of endometrial cancer with an unfavorable prognosis. The aim of this study was to determine the relationships, if any, between preoperative serum cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) levels, the last Papanicolaou (Pap) smear, the results of endometrial biopsy and tumor histology, and disease-stage according to permanent histopathology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data of 26 women with ECCC were collected from their medical records to compare demographics, preoperative serum CA-125 levels, Pap test results, histological diagnosis of the endometrial biopsy, and tumor histology, as well as the disease stage according to permanent histopathology. RESULTS: The mean age at diagnosis was 64.0 years. There were 17 (65.3%) women with pure ECCC and 8 (30.7%) women with a mixed histology. Stage III-IV disease was diagnosed in 12 (46.2%) women and occurred more frequently in pure ECCC (n = 11, 91.7%). CA-125 values were significantly higher in advanced stage disease. Cytological evaluation indicated the presence of 71.4% (10/14) cytological abnormalities in pure ECCC. The overall sensitivity of endometrial sampling for the detection of malignancy was 92.3% (24/26), whereas the accurate diagnosis of ECCC was only 34.7% (8/23) with the Pipelle sampler. CONCLUSION: Pap test abnormalities are frequent in ECCC. Although it is less accurate in the diagnosis of ECCC than in the detection of malignancy, endometrial sampling is still the main procedure for the diagnosis of ECCC. Higher preoperative CA-125 concentrations imply the presence of advanced stage ECCC.

A randomized controlled experimental study of the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma and hyaluronic acid for the prevention of adhesion formation in a rat uterine horn model.

PURPOSE: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been known to possess an efficacy in tissue regeneration. The aim of this study was to determine the role of PRP on post-operative adhesion formation in an experimental rat study. METHODS: Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control, hyaluronic acid, and PRP treatment groups and operated on for uterine horn adhesion modeling. Blood was collected to produce a PRP with platelet counts of 688 × 10(3)/µL, and 1 ml of either hyaluronic acid gel or PRP was administered over the standard lesions, while the control group received no medication. The evaluation of post-operative adhesions was done on the 30th post-operative day. The location, extent, type, and tenacity of adhesions as well as total adhesion scores, tissue inflammation, fibrosis and transforming growth factor-1beta (TGF-1ß) expressions were evaluated. RESULTS: The total adhesion score was significantly lower in the PRP group (3.2 ± 1.5) compared with the hyaluronic acid (5.0 ± 1.3) and control (8.1 ± 1.7) groups. The extent of the adhesions was significantly lower in the PRP group. There was no significant difference in the type and tenacity of adhesions between the hyaluronic acid and the PRP group. The level of inflammation was significantly higher in the control group than the others, while there was no difference between the PRP and hyaluronic acid groups. TGF-1ß expression was significantly lesser in the PRP group than the control and hyaluronic acid groups. CONCLUSIONS: PRP is more effective than hyaluronic acid treatment in preventing post-operative adhesion formation in an experimental rat uterine horn adhesion model.

Uterine tumors resembling ovarian sex cord tumors: A case report and literature review.

Uterine tumors with ovarian sex cord-like elements are a rarely observed type of uterine body tumor with unknown etiology, and are divided into two groups: Endometrial stromal tumors with sex cord-like elements (ESTSCLEs) and uterine tumors resembling ovarian sex cord tumors (UTROSCTs). While ESTSCLEs are commonly associated with metastasis and recurrence, there is limited data in the relevant literature concerning the behavior of UTROSCTs. However, UTROSCTs are typically benign in nature. Although case numbers are limited, extra-uterine or lymph node metastasis has been reported. Surgical approaches may be altered according to the patient's age and desire for future fertility. Hysterectomies with bilateral salpingo-oopherectomy or hysteroscopic tumor resection are reported to be safe surgical treatment options. However, in the current report, a case of UTROSCT initially misdiagnosed as adenosarcoma following hysteroscopic tumor resection is presented. Staging surgery revealed the precise diagnosis of the tumor using appropriate immunohistochemical evaluations, and led to the discovery of a secondary tumor focus in the myometrium, adjacent to the location of the previously excised tumor. Thus, hysteroscopic resection is questionable as a definitive surgical treatment in patients exhibiting UTROSCT. If hysteroscopic resection is the selected treatment, close follow-up with diagnostic imaging is recommended.

Comparison of Topical Lidocaine Spray With Placebo for Pain Relief in Colposcopic Procedures: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of topical lidocaine spray compared to a placebo for relieving pain during colposcopic cervical biopsies and endocervical curettage. METHODS: This randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study included patients with abnormal cervical cytologic results requiring colposcopy and directed cervical punch biopsy with or without endocervical curettage (ECC). The patients were randomly assigned to either the 10% lidocaine spray or the placebo group. The patients were asked to rate the pain level immediately after the cervical biopsy and ECC, and mean pain scores of the 2 groups were compared. RESULTS: A total of 214 women were included in the study: 104 in the lidocaine group and 110 in the control group. Age, parity, and history of previous vaginal delivery and cesarean section were similar in both groups. Mean ± SD age was 41.5 ± 10.6 years in the lidocaine group and 43 ± 11.3 years in the control group. Pain scores after cervical biopsy and ECC were also similar between the 2 groups. Mean ± SD pain scores associated with cervical biopsy were 2.18 ± 1.7 in the lidocaine group and 2.31 ± 1.6 in the control group. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In our population, there is no evidence to recommend the use of routine locally sprayed lidocaine anesthesia before cervical punch biopsy or ECC.

Retrospective evaluation of borderline ovarian tumors: single center experience of 183 cases.

PURPOSE: Borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs) constitute about a quarter of epithelial ovarian malignancies and require different treatment approaches. The present study aims to document the experience of a single center on the treatment outcome of women who had conservative or comprehensive surgery for BOTs. METHODS: One hundred eighty-three patients with BOTs, diagnosed and/or treated in our center between January of 2000 and March of 2013, were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The mean age at diagnosis was 40.6 years old (range 17-78). Ninety-five patients (51 %) were ≤40 years. Comprehensive surgical staging and fertility sparing surgery were performed in 49 % (n = 91) and 48 % of patients (n = 89) respectively. A hundred and forty-seven patients had stage IA disease (80 %). The most common type of BOT was serous in histology with 18 % bilateralism. CA-125 and CA-199 levels were increased in 29 (19 %) and 15 (10 %) patients with stage IA disease. Non-invasive tumor implants were diagnosed in 9 patients (4 %) and uterine involvement was 2 % among BOT patients that underwent hysterectomies. The mean post-operative follow-up period was 20.4 months (range 6-78 months). Disease recurrence was seen in 5 patients indicating overall recurrence rate of 2.7 %. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, we evaluated a large data pool of 183 patients diagnosed with borderline epithelial ovarian tumors. BOTs have a relatively better prognosis than invasive epithelial ovarian cancer. Surgery with proper staging is the cornerstone of treatment. Patients with BOTs at the early stage can undergo fertility sparing surgery with close follow-up.

The effects of different doses of melatonin treatment on endometrial implants in an oophorectomized rat endometriosis model.

AIMS: To determine the effects of different doses of melatonin treatment on endometrial implants, the activity of antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD), the angiogenesis factor, the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the waste metabolite product of lipid peroxidation malondialdehyde (MDA) in an oophorectomized rat endometriosis model. METHODS: Thirty-two, female, non-pregnant, nulligravid Sprague-Dawley, albino rats were used in this prospective, randomized, controlled and experimental study. Endometriosis was surgically induced in oophorectomized rats, and estradiol treatment was started after the first operation and continued till the end of the study. Second look, third look and necropsy operations were performed in the 2nd, 4th and 6th weeks. Mean volumes, histological scores and biochemical parameters were evaluated throughout the study. RESULTS: The mean volumes of endometriotic foci were 98.8 mm(3) ± 17.2 vs. 108.2 mm(3) ± 17.5, 54.1 mm(3) ± 15.6 vs. 25.8 mm(3) ± 3.6, 42.8 mm(3) ± 10.5 vs. 32.7 mm(3) ± 6.0 and histopathological scores were 2.2 ± 0.2 vs. 1.7 ± 0.1, 2.6 ± 0.2 vs. 2.2 ± 0.2, 2.6 ± 0.1 vs. 2.7 ± 0.2 in the 10 vs. 20-mg/kg/day melatonin group at the end of the second, fourth and sixth weeks, respectively. When the groups were compared, no significant differences were seen in the histopathologic scores, SOD and VEGF levels between the groups. However, the endometriotic foci volumes were significantly decreased in both melatonin treatment groups with respect to the control group at the end of the fourth and sixth weeks. Moreover, the mean MDA levels were significantly lower in the control group than in the 10-mg/kg/day melatonin group at the end of the fourth and sixth weeks. CONCLUSION: Melatonin treatment resulted in the regression of endometriotic lesions in oophorectomized rats. Higher doses of melatonin treatment might be more effective in the regression of implants and improvement of histologic scores as well as in the precise evaluation of SOD, MDA and VEGF distributions in the rat experimental models.

Persistent ascites due to sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis mimicking ovarian carcinoma: A case report.

Sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis, also known as 'Cocoon Syndrome', is a rare cause of bowel obstruction. The condition might be congenital or acquired and has non-specific symptomatology. Abdominal pain occurs due to the limitation of intestinal motility or segment obstruction by a thick homogenous fibrotic mantle covering the intra-peritoneal organs. Altered peritoneal fluid dynamics result in persistent ascites. Leading pathogenic theories are not well defined, but genetic factors, retrograde trans-tubal flow of causative agents, peritoneal infections, medications and peritoneal invasive procedures are all thought to play a role. There are no specific diagnostic criteria and exact diagnosis is only confirmed during surgery when the investing thick fibrous folds covering the bowel loops are visualised. We present here a case that had been suspected to have an ovarian malignancy due to a huge abdominal heterogeneous mass and ascites on preoperative diagnostic workup, but had a final diagnosis of abdominal Cocoon Syndrome made during surgery.

Is target oriented surgery sufficient with borderline ovarian tumors? - Role of accompanying pathologies.

BACKGROUND: There are limited data in the literature related to concomitant genital or extra-genital organ pathologies in patients with borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs). The aim of this study was to evaluate our experience with 183 patients to draw attention to the accompanying organ pathologies with BOTs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred eighty-three patients with BOTs, diagnosed and/or treated in our center between January of 2000 and March of 2013 were evaluated retrospectively. Data related to age, tumor histology, lesion side, disease stage, accompanying incidental ipsilateral and/or contralateral ovarian pathologies, treatment approaches, and follow-up periods were investigated. Incidental gynecologic and non-gynecologic concomitant organ pathologies were also recorded. RESULTS: The mean age at diagnosis was 40.6 years (range: 17-78). Ninety- five patients (51%) were ≤40 years. A hundred and forty-seven patients (80%) were at stage IA of the disease. The most common type of BOT was serous in histology. Non-invasive tumor implants were diagnosed in 4% and uterine involvement was found 2% among patients who underwent hysterectomies. There were 12 patients with positive peritoneal washings. Only 17 and 84 patients respectively had concomitant ipsilateral and concomitant contralateral incidental ovarian pathologies. The most common type of uterine, appendicular and omental pathologies were chronic cervicitis, lymphoid hyperplasia and chronic inflammatory reaction. CONCLUSIONS: According to our findings most of accompanying pathologies for BOT are benign in nature. Nevertheless, there were additional malignant diseases necessitating further therapy. We emphasize the importance of the evaluation of all abdominal organs during surgery.

Clinical outcomes of cases with cervical dysplasia absent in cold knife conization specimens.

BACKGROUND: Cold knife conization is a surgical procedure that allows both diagnosis and treatment of cervical lesions at the same time. It is mainly performed for indications of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). In this study, we aimed to investigate the clinical outcome of cases without CIN in cold knife conization specimen, following a high-grade lesion (CIN2/3) in cervical biopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study at a tertiary referral hospital between January 1st 2008 and August 1st 2012. Cases that underwent cold knife conization for CIN2/3 within the study period were included. Cone-negative (Group 1) and cone-positive (Group 2) cases were analyzed for various clinical parameters, and were compared in the 1-year post-conization period for histological recurrence and human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA status. RESULTS: A total of 173 women underwent cold knife conization for CIN2/3 within the study period. Twenty-two cases (12.7%) were included in Group 1 and 151 cases (87.3%) in Group 2. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of age, gravidity, parity, menopausal status and HPV-DNA status (pre-conization and 1 year post-conization) (p>0.05). Recurrence rates were also similar between the groups (9.1% vs 9.9%, p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical outcomes were similar in terms of histological recurrence and HPV persistence after 1 year of follow-up between cone-negative and cone-positive cases. Clinical follow-up of cone-negative cases should therefore be performed similar to cone-positive cases.