Complete and incomplete removal of precancerous conditions by conization

: 673 patients with cervical lesions ranging from mild dysplasia to microcarcinoma have been treated by cone biopsy. There was a complete removal of the premalignant or malignant tissue in 70% of the cases, depending on the degree of severity of the lesion. In 42% of the cases (166 patients) in which hysterectomy was performed for incomplete conisation, no rests of the epithelial lesion could be found. Therefore it is recommended to follow these patients by means of cytology and colposcopy without immediate hysterectomy, especially in women who desire further pregnancies. Among 28 patients followed in this way there was recurrency only in 2 cases. In spite of "complete" conisation there were rests of cancerous tissue in 11 of 66 cases. The latter results show the necessity of a consequent follow-up also for these patients.