Managing risk in gynecologic cytology: reactive and unsatisfactory smears

HPV Cotesting of Unsatisfactory Papanicolaou Tests: Implications for Follow-up Intervals

OBJECTIVES

The 2019 American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology management guidelines recommend that patients with an unsatisfactory Papanicolaou (Pap) test (UPT) and negative human papillomavirus (HPV) cotest undergo repeat age-based screening in 2 to 4 months. The rationale is that a negative HPV test in the setting of an UPT may reflect an inadequate sample and therefore should not be interpreted as truly "negative." For patients 25 years and older who are cotested, if HPV is positive for the 16 or 18 genotypes, direct referral for colposcopy is recommended. Our study aimed to determine if a negative HPV cotest result is predictive of the absence of a high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) and whether these patients may be called back for repeat testing at an interval longer than 2 to 4 months.

METHODS

Follow-up cervical cytology and biopsy results in women with UPT and HPV cotests from January 2017 to December 2021 were collected. Original UPT and HPV cotest results were correlated with the follow-up Pap and biopsy results.

RESULTS

There were 1,496 (2.28%) UPT cases out of 65,641 total Pap tests. Among the 1,496 UPT cases, 1,010 (67.5%) had HPV cotesting; 676 (45.1%) were followed by repeat Pap or biopsy within 4 months and 850 (56.8%) within 12 months. The total follow-up rate was 81%, with a range of 3 days to 36 months. The HSIL rate in HPV-positive cases was 5.7% (3/53) vs 0.4% (2/539) (P = .006) in HPV-negative cases. In UPT, HPV cotesting showed negative predictive values for low-grade and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion detection of 98.5% and 99.6%, respectively, while positive predictive values were 19% and 5.7%.

CONCLUSIONS

A negative HPV cotest in individuals with UPT predicted the lack of HSIL in our study. Compliance with the recommended follow-up time of 2 to 4 months for women with UPT was low (45.1%). Our study suggests that women with UPT and negative HPV cotest may be safely called back at an interval longer than 4 months.

High-risk human papillomavirus DNA test results are useful for disease risk stratification in women with unsatisfactory liquid-based cytology pap test results

OBJECTIVES

This study assesses whether high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA test results from residual vial fluid of unsatisfactory liquid-based cytology(LBC) samples might provide useful information on disease risk.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with unsatisfactory imaged ThinPrep Pap test results and available Hybrid Capture 2 high-risk HPV results were identified at an academic women's hospital laboratory between July 1, 2005, and July 31, 2007. Follow-up repeat cytology results, HPV results, and available biopsy results were analyzed.

RESULTS

Three hundred four patients with unsatisfactory cytology results and HPV test results were studied. Eleven (3.6%) of 304 tested positive for HPV DNA, and 293 tested HPV negative. Five (45%) of 11 HPV-positive patients had detectible low-grade squamous intraepithelial/cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 1 during a mean follow-up period of almost 6 months. Among 293 women with negative HPV results, only 1 case of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 1 was identified during roughly the same follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONS

A positive high-risk HPV result associated with an unsatisfactory ThinPrep Pap test result identified patients at risk for diagnosis of an undetected squamous intraepithelial/cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. Negative high-risk HPV results associated with an unsatisfactory LBC had high negative predictive value in this limited study. The overall low detection rate for significant disease on follow-up of all patients with unsatisfactory imaged LBC is similar to findings reported in another LBC study but differs from studies reporting increased risk for undetected disease in women screened with unsatisfactory conventional Pap smears.