title: The triage of squamous cell abnormalities of cervical cytology by human papilloma virus screening.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to determine the presence of human papilloma virus (HPV) infection in cervical swabs by the use of the Digene Hybrid Capture assay in a cohort of patients with squamous cell abnormalities found in cervical cytologic screening.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-four (0.3%) of 1,100 patients who came for their routine cervical cytologic screening and diagnosed as having squamous cell abnormalities were enrolled in the study. Colposcopy-directed biopsy was obtained from all study patients. HPV DNA was sought in cervical swab specimens placed in Digene transport medium by the use of the Digene Hybrid Capture assay. The findings of cervical cytology, colposcopy-directed biopsy and HPV screening were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a total of 34 women who were diagnosed as having squamous cell abnormalities in their routine cervical cytologic screening, 15 women had atypical squamous cell lesions of undetermined significancy (ASCUS), 16 women had low-grade cervical intraepithelial lesions (LGSIL), and three women had high-grade cervical intraepithelial lesions (HGSIL). Five (15%) of these women tested positive for HPV screening in cervical swabs where four women had infection with high-risk and one woman had infection with low-risk subtypes. None of the patients with koilocytotic changes of the squamous cells in the class of LGSIL histopathologically tested positive for HPV screening. In addition, one patient diagnosed as having invasive cervical carcinoma histopathologically tested negative for HPV screening. Atypical vascularization was seen colposcopically in this 37-year-old woman who had ASCUS cytologically.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HPV screening seems to have value in the triage of patients with ASCUS with no clear advantage to colposcopy-directed biopsy. The routine performance of HPV screening for the triage of patients with squamous cell abnormalities has no advantage over colposcopy-directed biopsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Ozsaran
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dikmen
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Akercan
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Zekioglu
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Terek
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mgoyi
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Altuglu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003127:Colposcopy; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral