C. Kuhlerobbarius et al., POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION-ASSISTED PAPILLOMAVIRUS DETECTION IN CERVICOVAGINAL SMEARS - STRATIFICATION BY CLINICAL RISK AND CYTOLOGY REPORTS, Virchows Archiv, 425(2), 1994, pp. 157-163
Seven hundred and twelve patients from cancer screening, pregnancy car
e, outpatient clinics for patients at risk for cervical dysplasia and
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection were tested simultaneousl
y for cytological aberrations and human papillomavirus (HPV). Classifi
cation of these cases, and of all cytology records throughout 1991 and
1992 was performed according to the ''Munchner Nomenklatur'' and the
Bethesda classification. HPV-directed polymerase chain reaction analys
is was carried out with general primers, patients at risk for cervical
dysplasia were tested by subsequent hybridization with HPV 16 and 18
probes. Patients from cancer screening and pregnancy care showed simil
ar HPV prevalences ranging between 19.4%-24.6%. In contrast, patients
from dysplasia and HIV units were infected in 56.2%-62.3% and 75.0%-76
.9% respectively in centre of disease control stage III-IV, HPV detect
ion rates in patients from dysplasia and HIV units increased gradually
from 40.1%-52.9% in non-suspicious smears to 80.8%-100% in atypical s
mears. High risk HPV 16 and 18 infections were detected in 64% of smea
rs with cytological evidence of HPV infection (koilocytosis) to 84.2%
in severe dysplasia. Following the Bethesda guidelines, 2.9%-14.7% of
all smears initially reported as Pap 2 K (suggestive of HPV infection)
would be qualified as risk lesions (low grade squamous intraepithelia
l lesions), although they tested HPV negative in more than a third of
cases. Thus, when using the Bethesda system, HPV analysis is needed to
prevent overclassification and overtreatment. The ''Munchner Nomenkla
tur'' avoids this dilemma by not mixing morphological statements on in
fection, atypia and cancer risk.