Repeated Positive Cervical HPV Testing and Absent or Minor Cytology Abnormality at Pap Smear. What is the Next Step?

Human papillomavirus (HPV) screening has significantly reduced cervical cancer (CC) mortality. Women who consecutively test positive for high-risk HPV without and minor changes on reflex cytology (atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance [ASC-US] or low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion [LSIL]) or dysplasia on cervical colposcopy-oriented biopsy are always referred to colposcopy. The aim of the present study was to assess whether this guidance is appropriate for COBAS HPV testing with reflex cytology.

A cross-sectional, retrospective study was carried out in 5,227 women who underwent routine CC screening over a period of five years (2012-2017). All HPV tests were performed using Cobas®4800 HPV. The study included women attending gynecology appointments whose first HPV test was positive and who had any type of follow-up. Patients' HPV test results as well as cytology and biopsy findings obtained during the abovementioned period were analyzed. A descriptive and comparative statistical study was conducted using this data.

A total of 765 out of 6003 HPV tests performed in 5,227 women were positive, and 141 women who had a positive HPV test (with negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy [NILM] or inflammation, or ASC-US and LSIL cytology, but no lesions on colposcopy, or absence of dysplasia on histology) repeated the HPV test at least once. Of these 141 women, 6 were diagnosed with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) during the follow-up period. All cases of HSIL were diagnosed after the second HPV test.

This study shows that, at cervical cancer screening, all women testing positive for HPV regardless of Pap smear result should be referred to colposcopy.