Cytomorphologic Findings Associated With High‐Risk <scp>HPV</scp> Categories in <scp>PAP</scp> Smears

BACKGROUND: High-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) is a well-established etiological agent in the development of cervical cancer. As molecular HPV testing becomes increasingly integrated into cervical cancer screening protocols, the correlation between cytomorphologic features and specific hrHPV types warrants further investigation. This study aimed to assess the predictive value of cytological features in cases with concurrent positive PAP smear results and detection of a single hrHPV category (HPV16, HPV18/45, or other pooled hrHPV types). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, 490 cases with abnormal Pap smear findings and a single hrHPV category (HPV16, HPV18/45, or other pooled hrHPV types) were evaluated. hrHPV detection was performed using a real-time PCR-based assay (Aptima HPV). Liquid-based cytology slides were systematically reviewed for a spectrum of cytomorphologic features, and their associations with hrHPV categories were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods, including false discovery rate (FDR) correction. RESULTS: Initial analyses demonstrated a statistically significant association between classical koilocytosis and other pooled hrHPV types (p < 0.001), as well as associations between HPV16 positivity and nuclear hyperchromasia (p = 0.047) and nuclear membrane irregularity (p = 0.017). However, following Benjamini-Hochberg FDR adjustment, only the association between classical koilocytosis and other pooled hrHPV types remained statistically significant (adjusted p = 0.011). No significant correlations were identified between hrHPV categories and other evaluated cytomorphologic features. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that while cytomorphology alone is not fully adequate for precise hrHPV typing, it may offer supportive value, particularly in settings where HPV testing is not readily available.