title: HPV-DNA testing for patients with ASC-US helps identify the women who have a high risk for precancerous cervical lesions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The cytological interpretation of ASC-US represents a category of morphologic uncertainty. For patients with this result, other tests are necessary in order to determine the risk for cervical lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  198 patients with ASC-US cytology have been analyzed between 2008 and 2013. All the patients included in the study have subsequently had a high oncogenic HPV testing and colposcopy risk. 103 (52%) patients tested positive for high risk HPV and 21 (10%) had associated colposcopy changes and precancerous and cancerous lesions identified through biopsy. 95 (48%) patients tested negative for HPV and none of these women had lesions at colposcopy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High oncogenic risk HPV testing was proven useful in identifying the patients with ASC-US cytology who are at high risk for cervical lesions (100% sensibility). In this study, the HPV testing had a negative predictive value of 100%, which uselessly renders a further colposcopy evaluation. HPV testing for women with ASC-US is not specific in identifying women with cervical lesions (Specificity 53%) and this results from a high prevalence of limited HPV infections in an age group which is less than 30 years old.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High risk HPV testing for women with ASC-US cervical cytology is useful in determining the risk for precancerous and cancerous cervical lesions. A positive result is associated with a high risk for cervical lesions (20%) and for these patients colposcopy is necessary. For women with a negative result, the risk for cervical lesions is practically null so colposcopy is not required.
authors: Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, University Emergency Hospital, Bucharest.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Moarcăs
authors: Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, University Emergency Hospital, Bucharest.
authors: I C
authors: IC
authors: Georgescu
authors: Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, C.F. 2 Clinical Hospital, Bucharest.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Moarcăs
authors: Micomi Clinic, Bucharest.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Badea
authors: Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, University Emergency Hospital, Bucharest.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Cîrstoiu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D065309:Atypical Squamous Cells of the Cervix / Q000821:virology*; D003127:Colposcopy; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D012307:Risk Factors; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral
keywords: ASC-US; HPV testing; screening cervical lesions