Correlation of cytologic, colposcopic, and histologic studies with immunohistochemical studies of human papillomavirus structural antigens in an unselected patient population

Abstract

A study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of human papillomavirus infection in the general population. The first phase evaluated cytologic and colposcopic diagnoses in 962 consecutive patients in a community practice. The second, detailed phase evaluated 110 consecutive patients making routine visits in the same practice. Studies performed for each patient in phase two were cervical cytology, cervical cytologic immunohistochemistry for human papillomavirus, colposcopy with biopsy of all acetowhite epithelium (stained with hematoxylin and eosin and immunohistochemically), saline and potassium hydroxide preparations. All studies were carried out at the initial nonreferral office visit. There was positive cytologic evidence of human papillomavirus in 144 of 962 (15%) of the patients in the first phase and concurrent cytologic and histologic immunohistochemical positivity in 18% of those in the detailed second phase of the study.