To compare liquid based cytology and HPV DNA testing in detection of cervical intraepithelial Neoplasia

Aim: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of liquid-based cytology (LBC) and HPV DNA testing in detecting cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) among patients presenting to a tertiary care hospital. Material and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Subharti Medical College, Meerut, from February 2023 to August 2024. A total of 100 patients were included, and all underwent liquid-based cytology (LBC) and HPV DNA testing. Colposcopy-guided cervical biopsy was performed for histopathological confirmation. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of LBC and HPV DNA testing were calculated and compared with histopathological findings.Results: LBC demonstrated higher sensitivity and specificity in detecting CIN1 and CIN2/3 compared to HPV DNA testing. The sensitivity and specificity of LBC for detecting CIN1 were 75% and 90.90%, respectively, with a PPV of 91.3% and an NPV of 74.07%. For CIN2/3, LBC showed a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 88.23%, with a PPV of 54.54% and an NPV of 96.15%. In contrast, HPV DNA testing had a significantly lower sensitivity and PPV for detecting early-stage lesions.Conclusion: Liquid-based cytology (LBC) is more effective than HPV DNA testing in detecting CIN, making it a preferable method for primary cervical cancer screening. Given its higher diagnostic accuracy, LBC should be considered the primary screening tool, with HPV DNA testing serving as a supplementary method.