Conservative management of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 and immunohistochemical staining of p16 and Ki-67: Data from a Brazilian institution

INTRODUCTION: Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 (CIN2) includes both transient HPV infections and precursor lesions of cervical cancer. Conservative management aims to avoid overtreatment, especially in reproductive-aged women. OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical outcomes and time to lesion regression among conservatively managed, biopsy-confirmed CIN2 cases, and to explore whether baseline characteristics, including p16 and Ki-67, were associated with lesion regression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational cohort study was conducted in patients with CIN2, as determined by cervical biopsy. Participants were followed up with cytology and colposcopy every 6 months, and outcomes were categorized as regression or no regression. At least two pathologists evaluated p16 immunohistochemical staining according to LAST criteria. Ki-67 staining was considered positive when at least 50% of cells in the lesion were stained, as determined by digital quantification. Bivariate analysis and survival curve analyses were conducted, with significant associations defined as p-values