Faculty Bibliography

OBJECTIVE: To determine rates of and factors associated with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2 or 3 among women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) and oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective review of 357 women with ASC-US and known high-risk HPV infection. To be eligible for inclusion, patients had to have subsequently undergone colposcopic-directed cervical biopsy and/or endocervical sampling. Univariate and multivariable regression analyses were used to estimate crude and adjusted odds ratios of CIN 2 or 3 by risk factors associated with HPV and CIN. RESULTS: Thirty-three of 215 (15%) women with ASC-US and oncogenic HPV who underwent histological sampling demonstrated CIN 2 or 3. In the adjusted model, only nulliparity (adjusted odds ratio = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.0-4.8) retained a marginal association with the outcome. No significant age-related differences in the prevalence of high-grade disease emerged. The high-grade lesions seen in adolescents consisted of single, small lesions. CONCLUSIONS: In the light of these findings, and in conjunction with the high rate of oncogenic HPV infection among adolescents with ASC-US, both reflex HPV testing and immediate colposcopy do not appear to be of benefit in the initial management of teenagers with this cytological diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the age-stratified prevalence of oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and to evaluate risk factors for HPV acquisition among women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US). METHODS: This was a chart review of all women with ASC-US smears who underwent oncogenic HPV testing between July 2002 and February 2004. To be eligible, HPV DNA results had to be available. Data extracted from charts included demographic information as well as certain patient characteristics historically associated with HPV acquisition or carriage. RESULTS: Of 527 eligible women with ASC-US, 357 (68%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 64-72%) tested positive for oncogenic HPV. As compared with women who tested negative, this population was significantly younger and less likely to be married. When stratified by age, 77% of the women aged younger than 20 years were positive for high-risk subtypes, compared with 58% of women aged older than 25 years (P < .01). In the multivariate analysis, young age (relative risk [RR] 1.30, 95% CI 1.14.-1.49), current smoking (RR 1.14, 95% CI 1.03-1.25) and a history of chlamydial infection (RR 1.20, 95% CI 1.09-1.32) were associated with an increased likelihood of HPV infection, while oral contraceptive use (RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.72-1.03) had a marginal protective effect. The protective effect of oral contraceptives was most pronounced among adolescent women (RR 0.57, 95% CI 0.31-1.03). CONCLUSION: Given that the rate of oncogenic HPV infection approached 80% in our population of adolescent women with ASC-US, the usefulness of HPV testing in this age group requires further investigation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II-3.

BACKGROUND: The association of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) with uterine leiomyomata has been reported only rarely in the English-language literature. These concomitant findings occurred in a woman with no other known risk factors for development of DVT. CASE: A 49-year-old, Caucasian woman, gravida 3, para 3, with a past medical history significant for large uterine leiomyomata, menorrhagia and anemia, presented with acute edema of the left lower extremity. Doppler studies revealed compression of the left iliofemoral vein with associated thrombosis. No risk factors for DVT were identified. Intravenous heparin was initiated, with eventual preoperative placement of an inferior vena cava Greenfield filter. A total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy were performed without complications. CONCLUSION: Large uterine leiomyomata are a potential cause of lower extremity venous stasis and resulting thrombosis and can be treated with hysterectomy.