Increased incidence of cervical cytological abnormalities in women with genital warts or contact with genital warts: A need for increased vigilance?

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether women who have a history of genital warts or whose sexual partners have such a history were more likely to have borderline or dyskaryotic cervical smears than other women. Design: Prospective study conducted over a five month period. Setting: A genitourinary medicine clinic in Cambridge, UK. Patients: One hundred and eighty five women who attended the clinic during the study period, on whom cervical cytology was performed. Ninety-seven had a history of genital warts and twenty had partners with genital warts. Methods: Cervical cytology taken by standard methods. Demographic data and sexual history obtained by questionnaire. Colposcopy was performed on patients with a history of warts or wart contact. Outcome measured: Relative incidence of cytological abnormalities in the various groups of patients. Results: 'Borderline' nuclear change was the most frequent abnormality reported in the wart contact group (six cases) whereas mild dyskaryosis was the most frequent abnormal finding in those women with a history of warts (21 cases). Conclusions: Women with warts or contact with genital warts were more likely to have borderline or dyskaryotic cervical smears than women without such a history. Recommendations of follow-up of these patients are made.