Characteristics of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in women infected with the human immunodeficiency virus

Objective: Our purpose was to compare characteristics of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia in relation to human immunodeficiency virus infection among women referred to a public hospital colposcopy clinic with Papanicolaou smears showing cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. Study Design: An evaluation of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia severity, lesion size, and vulvovaginal lesions with respect to human immunodeficiency virus status was performed. Results: (1) Human immunodeficiency virus prevalence in 482 women with cytologic characteristics of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia was 13%. (2) In human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients, Papanicolaou smears were less adequate for evaluation and correlated less well with histologic findings than in uninfected patients ( p n = 47) had more advanced cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, larger cervical lesions, and more associated vulvovaginal lesions than human immunodeficiency virus-negative patients ( n = 161). In human immunodeficiency virus-positive women, the severity of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia was not associated with age, whereas in human immunodeficiency virus-negative women, increasing severity was significantly associated with increasing age. Conclusion: High rates of human immunodeficiency virus infection in inner-city colposcopy services and high-grade, extensive cervical lesions in infected women warrant special attention.