Significance of high-risk HPV detection in women with atypical glandular cells on Pap testing: Analysis of 1857 cases from an academic institution

The role of high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) testing in women with various types of atypical glandular cells (AGC) on Papanicolaou (Pap) test is undetermined.Herein, the authors retrospectively searched their pathology database for cases of AGC with concurrent hrHPV testing and histological follow-up results within 1 year between January 2008 and December 2013.Among 3709 AGC cases occurring during the study period, 2287 had concurrent Hybrid Capture 2 HPV testing results. The overall rate of hrHPV positivity (hrHPV+) was 27.7%. Of these 2287 cases, 1857 cases (81.2%) had histological follow-up results within 1 year, including 529 hrHPV + cases and 1328 hrHPV-negative (hrHPV-) cases. Among the hrHPV + cases, 16.8% had cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2/3 (CIN2/3), 5.7% had cervical adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS)/adenocarcinoma (ADC), and 1.1% had an endometrial carcinoma. Among the hrHPV- cases, 0.6% had CIN2/3, 0.2% had AIS/ADC, and 3.8% had an endometrial carcinoma. The rate of high-grade cervical lesions (CIN2/3, AIS, or ADC) was significantly higher in women who were hrHPV + compared with hrHPV- women for all age groups. Endometrial carcinoma was most commonly present in women aged ≥50 years.To the authors' knowledge, the current study is the largest follow-up study published to date regarding women with AGC cytology and HPV testing. The study data indicate that hrHPV testing is useful for predicting the risk of high-grade cervical neoplasia in women with AGC, but has no significant value in evaluating the risk of endometrial carcinoma. The combination of cytology, hrHPV testing, and patient age can significantly aid in the appropriate management of these individuals. Cancer Cytopathol 2017;125:205-211. © 2016 American Cancer Society.