Comparison of biopsy results between two groups of cytology-negative HPV 16/18 and other types of high-risk HPV positive patients

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide. It is believed that Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is responsible for 100% of cervical cancers. 200 HPV genotypes have been identified to date, of which 13–15 are high-risk HPV genotypes infecting the genital area. 218 females suffering from high-risk HPV infection and showing a negative cytology test were selected in a retrospective cross-sectional study and divided into two groups: 1. HPV 16/18 (121 women) and 2. Other high-risk HPV (OHrHPV) (97 women). The demographic and clinical data were collected from Motahari clinic, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, between September 2020 and January 2023. The collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS software version 26. Data analysis was carried out using chi-square, t-test, and Mann-Whitney, and p < 0.05 was defined as being statistically significant for all the aforementioned tests. The mean age for the HPV 16/18 and OHrHPV groups were 35.27 ± 7.698 and 36.58 ± 8.756, respectively. The most prevalent HPV genotype was HPV type 16 (n = 96) in the population, followed by HPV type 18 (n = 25) and HPV type 31 (n = 17). The HPV 16/18 group had 15 high-grade colposcopy results, while only four similar results were observed in the OHrHPV group (p value = 0.031). The most prevalent HPV genotype in patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2 and CIN3 was HPV16. The cytology test failed to identify over 4% of the lesions in the OHrHPV group. Direct referral for colposcopy in the OHrHPV group results in the identification of missed diagnosed lesions and lost to follow-up patients.

Uterine cervical neoplasms; Human papillomavirus viruses; Colposcopy; Papanicolaou test

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