The results of cryosurgical treatment in young women with cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia.

A review is given of results from a 3-5-year follow-up of 105 young women treated with cryosurgery for a histopathologically verified dysplasia or carcinoma in situ of the uterine cervix. The recovery rate was 88%, with a slightly higher figure in the dysplasia group compared with that of carcinoma in situ. No invasive carcinoma was diagnosed and cases of treatment failure, all diagnosed within one year after cryosurgery, did not develop into a more severe form of neoplasia than previously. No recurrence has been noted so far and very few complications have been recorded. It is concluded that cryosurgery is an easy and effective method of treating cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia in young women. We stress, however, the importance of correct histopathological diagnosis prior to therapy and that after treatment the status of the patient must be checked with vaginal smears over a long period of time.