Remission of HPV infection after LEEP-conization - a retrospective study

Objectives: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. Long-term exposure to the HPV is a known cause of squamous intraepithelial lesions that consequently lead to cervical cancer development. The loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) conization is an established early cervical cancer treatment method. We aim to assess the remission of HPV infection after LEEP in non-vaccinated patients with pre-cancerous cervical lesions and establish the efficacy of cervical cancer prophylaxis. Material and methods: We analyzed 31 LEEP conizations performed due to low and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions in 2019-2020. We obtained molecular test samples and detected DNA of 37 different HPV genotypes. After a six-month follow-up, each patient underwent subsequent high-risk HPV testing and genotyping. Results: We observed that 54.8% of qualified patients were infected with HPV 16. We discovered complete viral remission in 64.5% of cases. After surgery, margins were negative in 71% of the patient's samples. During the follow-up, six patients got infected with new strains of HPV. Conclusions: We found that a correctly performed LEEP conization may contribute to the remission of persistent HPV infection; a more extended follow-up period might be recommended due to a high rate of post-surgery HPV infections.