RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the rate of discrepancy between cytology and histology in a referral-based population of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive women compared to HIV-negative women and women whose HIV status was unknown. METHODS: From January 1, 1990 to December 31, 1993, approximately 830 women underwent evaluation at Women and Infants' Hospital colposcopy clinic. Women who had histologic diagnosis and recent cytologic evaluation during this interval (N = 678) were selected for study. Forty-one HIV-positive women were compared to 228 HIV-negative women and 409 women whose HIV status was unknown. RESULTS: Of the 41 HIV-positive women, seven (17%) were noted to have a discrepancy between cytologic and histologic findings. In HIV-negative and HIV-unknown women, 15% (34 of 228) and 22% (91 of 409) were discrepant, respectively. Using HIV-negative women as the reference group, the relative risk of cytologic-histologic discrepancy was 1.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.51-2.41) for HIV-positive women and 1.5 (95% CI 1.04-2.14) for women whose HIV status was unknown. CONCLUSION: Human immunodeficiency virus-positive women referred for colposcopic evaluation have no more cytologic-histologic discrepancy than HIV-negative women or women whose HIV status is unknown.