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. 2015 Mar;58(2):117-23.
doi: 10.5468/ogs.2015.58.2.117. Epub 2015 Mar 16.

Impact of age on the false negative rate of human papillomavirus DNA test in patients with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance

Kyu-Hee Won  1 , Jae Yeon Lee  1 , Hye-Yon Cho  2 , Dong Hoon Suh  3 , Jae Hong No  3 , Yong-Beom Kim  3
Affiliations

Impact of age on the false negative rate of human papillomavirus DNA test in patients with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance

Kyu-Hee Won et al. Obstet Gynecol Sci. 2015 Mar.

Abstract

Objective: Human papillomavirus (HPV) test was incorporated into the triage of lesser abnormal cervical cytologies: atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) or low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL). This study aimed to evaluate the impact of age on the efficacy of HPV testing in patients with lesser abnormal cervical cytologies.

Methods: A total of 439 patients with ASCUS or LSIL were included. The association between age groups and the diagnostic performances of HPV test for high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN2+) was evaluated.

Results: Median age was 44 years (range, 17 to 75 years). ASCUS was more frequently observed in older patients while LSIL was more common in younger patients (P=0.002). CIN2+ was found in 11.3% (32/284) of the ASCUS patients and 12.9% (20/155) of patients with LSIL. Older patients with ASCUS showed lower HPV infection rates (P=0.025), but not LSIL (P=0.114). However, the prevalence of CIN2+ was similar between the age groups with ASCUS or LSIL. In patients with ASCUS, the false negative rate of HPV test for CIN2+ was 6.2%. The false negative rate of the HPV test became higher with increasing of the age after the age of 50 (P=0.034).

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that false negative rate of the HPV test for CIN2+ in ASCUS patients older than 50 years might become higher with increasing of the age. Negative HPV results in patients of the age >50 years with ASCUS should be carefully interpreted.

Keywords: Age; Atypical squamous cells of the cervix; Human papillomavirus DNA tests; Uterine cervical dysplasia.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

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