Optical Coherence Tomography Can Reduce Colposcopic Referral Rates in Patients With High-Risk Human Papillomavirus

This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of combined human papillomavirus (HPV) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) cervical cancer screening strategies.

The OCT and cytology results were compared with the pathological results to calculate the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and immediate cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 or worse (CIN3+) risk. The authors compared the efficiency of colposcopy by using different triage strategies. They discussed differentiation in OCT screening in different age groups.

Eight hundred thirteen participants with high-risk HPV-positive and cervical cytology results underwent OCT before colposcopy between March 1 and October 1, 2021. The HPV16/18 genotyping with OCT triage has a specificity of CIN3+ lesions (61.1%; 95% CI = 57.6%-64.6%), intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+) (66.0%; 95% CI = 62.4%-69.6%). The HPV16/18 genotyping with cytology triage has a specificity of CIN3+ (44.0%; 95% CI = 40.4%-47.6%), CIN2+ (47.0%; 95% CI = 43.2%-50.8%). The OCT triage has a higher positive predictive value compared with the cytology, with a significant difference in CIN2+ lesions (45.0%; 95% CI = 38.8%-51.3% vs 29.2%; 95% CI = 24.7%-33.7%).

The combination of OCT and high-risk HPV triage (both genotyping and nongenotyping) had a similar immediate CIN3+ risk stratification and reduced the number of colposcopies compared with the cytological triage strategy.