Abstract
The aim of this study was to make a comparison between the results obtained by cytologies and by the detection and genotyping of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in the screening of cervical cancer. In this study, there were 994 samples used from human females. These were obtained from liquid-based preparations. The samples were analyzed by cytological technique and by the detection of HPV DNA using the PapilloCheck(®) Test. The HPV was detected in 28% of the samples. Most of the cytology lesions appeared in HPV positive samples and, within these, the most serious injuries occurred mostly in samples with multiple HPV infections. The results indicate that, in general, there is a correlation between the detection of HPV DNA and cytology. However, there were some cases that emphasize the limitations of both diagnosis methods (27% cases with viral HPV DNA positive and normal cytologies and about 2% of cytological lesions detected in samples HPV negatives). It is possible to conclude that none of the two techniques is enough by itself and should be applied together in order to increase the accuracy of cervical cancer screening.