Infrared coagulator ablation of high-grade anal squamous intraepithelial lesions in HIV-negative males who have sex with males.

PURPOSE: The incidence of anal squamous carcinoma in males who have sex with males is rising. We reported that infrared coagulation of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions in HIV-positive males who have sex with males yielded a recurrence rate after the first ablation of 65 percent and 58 percent after a second ablation. The cure rate of an individual lesion was 72 percent. We endeavored to determine whether this technique demonstrates improved results in HIV-negative males who have sex with males.

METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of medical records on HIV-negative males who have sex with males who had infrared coagulation ablation of anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions. Patients had at least six months' follow-up with cytology, high-resolution anoscopy, and biopsy. Recurrent high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions were retreated.

RESULTS: Seventy-five patients were enrolled, with a median age of 36 years, and 113 lesions were treated. Forty patients (53 percent) developed a recurrence in a median time of 238 days and 35 patients (47 percent) were disease free for a median of 516 days. When patients were treated a second or third time, recurrence rates dropped to 28 and 0 percent, respectively. The probability of successfully treating an individual lesion at first infrared coagulation was 81 percent and 93 percent when retreated. HIV-positive patients were twice as likely to have lesions persist and 1.7 times more likely to develop a recurrent high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion. No patient developed squamous-cell carcinoma, anal stenosis, or had a serious complication.

CONCLUSIONS: Infrared coagulation is a safe and effective office-based procedure for treating anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions. Although recurrence was high after the first infrared coagulation, repeated treatment led to resolution of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions. Treatment success with infrared coagulation is significantly superior in HIV-negative patients compared with HIV-positive patients.