Comparison of HPV Testing and Colposcopy in Detecting Cervical Dysplasia in Patients With Cytological Abnormalities

AIM

The aim of the study was to compare the diagnostic value of HPV testing and colposcopy in patients with abnormal cytology results.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 186 women with cytological abnormalities were included in the study. The patients underwent colposcopy examinations and DNA HPV testing of cervical smear with genotyping.

RESULTS

The HPV test was demonstrated to be more sensitive (79.4%) than specific (60.2%) and was more sensitive than colposcopy for detecting CIN changes (79.4% vs. 73.7%). Combined tests achieved a high sensitivity (90.9%) and negative predictive value (96.1%) in detecting patients with CIN2+ and demonstrated the highest positive predictive value (77.3%) for detecting CIN1+. Colposcopy had a very good specificity (83.5%) and positive predictive value (71.2%) in finding CIN1+ cases.

CONCLUSION

HPV tests showed a higher sensitivity than colposcopy, but colposcopy results presented higher specificity. Combining HPV testing and colposcopy proved to be the most efficient method for detecting CIN lesions.

Cervical cancer screening practices in central and eastern Europe in 2012

The burden of cervical cancer in central and eastern Europe is generally higher compared to western or northern Europe due to a history of mostly opportunistic cervical cancer screening practices and due to the strong influence of political and economic changes in post-communist transition. This article describes the current cervical cancer screening practices, organizational plans for the future, and main obstacles that need to be overcome in 16 countries in central and eastern Europe: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Unfortunately, only a few countries have managed to establish an organized and well-functioning cervical cancer screening program in recent years, whereas most countries in the region are still struggling with implementation-related issues of organized cervical cancer screening. Encouragingly, even in the countries where only opportunistic screening is performed, well-prepared plans and strategies have been established for switching to organized screening in the near future.