HPV Testing in Menopausal Women
Author Information
Author(s): Emily M. Ko, Rosemary Tambouret, David Wilbur, Annekathryn Goodman
Primary Institution: Massachusetts General Hospital
Hypothesis
To determine the frequency of high risk (HR) HPV and intraepithelial neoplasia following ASCUS pap cytology screens in menopausal women.
Conclusion
Reflex HPV testing plays an important role in ASCUS triage in menopausal women.
Supporting Evidence
- 25.29% of patients were HR HPV positive.
- 79.3% of HR HPV positive patients underwent colposcopy.
- 27.5% of biopsy proven lesions were discovered in HR HPV cases.
- 3.1% of HPV negative patients were diagnosed with dysplasia or carcinoma.
Takeaway
This study found that many older women with abnormal pap tests have high-risk HPV, which can lead to serious health issues, so they should keep getting checked.
Methodology
A retrospective review of ASCUS pap tests and HPV results in women aged 50 or over from a tertiary care center.
Potential Biases
The frequencies reported could be falsely elevated due to the referral base to a gynecologic oncology department.
Limitations
The study had a relatively small number of cases and may not represent the general population due to its referral base.
Participant Demographics
Women aged 50 and over, with a mean age of 59.8 years; 17.4% were past smokers and 11.04% currently smoked.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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