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Hybrid capture 2 high-risk human papillomavirus test: should "grey zone" results justify repeating the test?
Angels Ramirez-Hidalgo1, Mercè Musset-Biarnes2, Maria Vilamala-Muns1
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital Universitari del Mar, Barcelona, Spain.
Objective:
To determine the clinical importance of repeating the Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2) high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) test when the result obtained falls between 2.7 and 0.8 pg/mL, the so-called "grey zone."
Study Design:
Repeat testing was performed on 139 thin-layer liquid-based cytology cervicovaginal samples that were found to fall in the grey zone. The samples represented a variety of cytological diagnoses. The results of both HPV HC2 tests were analyzed related to the cytological diagnosis of both the previous and the follow-up cytological samples.
Results:
The change of the HPV HC2 result from positive (2.7-1 pg/mL) to negative (< 1 pg/mL) when repeating the test is not related with the diagnosis obtained in the cytological follow-up of the patient.
Conclusion:
The HC2 test should not be repeated when the result falls between 2.7 and 0.8 pg/mL. In these cases the result of the cytology is more relevant and should be used in the clinical assessment of the patient.
