Interrater agreement of anal cytology.Interrater Agreement of Anal Cytology • June 6th, 2012
Contract Type FiledJune 6th, 2012
Interrater Agreement of Anal CytologyInterrater Agreement of Anal Cytology • June 6th, 2012
Contract Type FiledJune 6th, 2012BACKGROUND: The majority of anal cancers are caused by persistent infections with carcinogenic human papillomavi- ruses (HPV). Similar to cervical carcinogenesis, the progression from HPV infection to anal cancer occurs through precan- cerous lesions that can be treated to prevent invasion. In analogy to cervical cytology, anal cytology has been proposed as a screening tool for anal cancer precursors in high-risk populations. METHODS: The authors analyzed the interobserver reproducibility of anal cytology in a population of 363 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected men who have sex with men (MSM). Liquid-based cytology (LBC) specimens were collected in the anal dysplasia clinic before the perform- ance of high-resolution anoscopy on all patients. Papanicolaou-stained LBC slides were evaluated by 2 cytopathologists, each of whom was blinded to the clinical outcome and the other pathologist’s results, using the revised Bethesda termi- nology. RESULTS: Overall agreement between the