Analysis of the clinical characteristics and surgical methods of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions of the cervix in postmenopausal women: A retrospective case study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to thoroughly evaluate the clinical features and surgical options for high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) in postmenopausal women. A total of 308 patients diagnosed with HSIL through colposcopic cervical biopsy and endocervical curettage were included. Their clinical characteristics, surgical treatments, and postoperative pathology were analyzed. Key findings include: 1. Patients with positive preoperative thinprep cytologic test (TCT) results and postoperative pathology indicating HSIL or squamous cell carcinoma (≥HSIL) were significantly more frequent than those with negative preoperative TCT results (P < .05). 2. Univariate analysis indicated significant impacts of TCT, human papillomavirus (HPV) type, transformation zone (TZ) location, and surgical technique on postoperative pathology (P < .05). 3. Logistic regression analysis confirmed significant influences of TCT, HPV type, TZ location, and surgical method on postoperative pathology outcomes (P < .05), showing that each unit increase in TZ raised the probability of ≥HSIL in postoperative pathology by 49.7%. In surgical comparisons, cold knife conization (CKC) and extrafascial hysterectomy resulted in 8.379 and 4.427 times higher probabilities of ≥HSIL in postoperative pathology, respectively, compared to loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP). 4. Surgical methods significantly influenced margin results (P < .05). After LEEP, 17.5% of cases had positive margins, compared to 9.4% after CKC, and 3.7% after extrafascial hysterectomy, indicating the highest rate of positive surgical margins occurred with LEEP. 1. Combined TCT and HPV screening is crucial for cervical cancer prevention, early detection, and management in postmenopausal women. Women with positive results for both TCT and HPV should undergo colposcopic cervical biopsy and endocervical curettage. 2. For patients with TZ3, CKC is the recommended surgical option. 3. CKC is the preferred treatment for postmenopausal women with HSIL, as it effectively diagnoses and treats the lesion, showing superior outcomes in managing postmenopausal HSIL.