Background/Aims: To compare local anesthesia and forced coughing in terms of subjective pain perception during cervical punch biopsy. Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 114 patients (mean age: 38.9 ± 9.0 years) scheduled for colposcopically directed cervical punch biopsy were randomly assigned to local anesthesia (n = 39), forced coughing (n = 39) and control (n = 36) groups. Pain perception was measured on a 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS) during the insertion of the speculum, injection of the local anesthetic to the cervix and the taking of the first cervical biopsy, as well as for the overall pain perceived during the entire procedure. Results: Experimental groups were similar in age, gravidity, parity and prior curettage. The pain score obtained during the first cervical biopsy was significantly lower if local anesthesia was applied (p = 0.016). Groups were similar in other pain subscores. The duration of the entire procedure was significantly longer (p < 0.001) in the local anesthesia group, while it was not significantly different in forced coughing patients compared to controls. Conclusion: Local anesthesia, but not forced coughing, provides significant pain relief during cervical biopsy. Based on similarity to control data in terms of pain relief and shortening of the operation, forced coughing per se seems related neither to pain relief nor a faster cervical biopsy.

Background Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a primary risk factor for cervical cancer. HPV 16 and 18 are the two most carcinogenic genotypes and have been reported in the majority of cervical cancer. High‐risk HPVs (hrHPVs) other than HPV 16/18 cause approximately a quarter of cervical cancers. We aimed to present the colposcopy‐guided biopsy results of non‐16/18 hrHPV‐infected women with negative cytology. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study conducted on 752 patients between the ages of 30‐65 years with non‐16/18 hrHPV and negative cytology undergoing colposcopy‐guided biopsy at a tertiary gynecological cancer center between January‐2016 and January‐2019. Results The mean age of the women was 42.35±9.41 years. Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2+ lesion was detected in 49 (6.5%) women with negative cytology. The rate of CIN 2+ lesions in women with abnormal cytology was 12.8%. Patients with abnormal cytology had about 2.1 and 2.4 times increased the odds of CIN 2+ lesion in cervical biopsy and endocervical curettage specimens, respectively. CIN 3+ lesion was detected in 20 (2.7%) women with negative cytology. One (0.1%) of the patients with HPV 39 and negative cytology had invasive cervical cancer. The two most common HPV subtypes were HPV 31 and HPV 51. Conclusions The risk of cervical preinvasive lesions still can be detected and cannot be completely eliminated among hrHPV other than 16/18‐infected women with negative cytology. Based on the results of this study, referral of non‐16/18 hrHPV‐infected women with negative cytology to colposcopy is supported as a credible and feasible strategy.

BackgroundWe aimed to present the biopsy results of women with HPV 16/18 infection and investigate whether cytology is necessary as a part of routine cervical cancer screening in women with HPV 16/18.MethodsThis is a retrospective cohort study conducted on 1647 patients between the ages of 30 and 65 years with HPV 16/18 undergoing colposcopy‐guided biopsy at a tertiary gynecological cancer center between January‐2016 and January‐2019. We compared the preinvasive lesion rates and the invasive cervical cancer rates of women with HPV 16/18 between the negative and the abnormal cytology group.ResultsOf the 1647 women, 1105 (67.1%) had negative cytology and 542 (32.9%) had abnormal cytology. Among women with initial negative cytology, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2+ lesion was detected in 205 (18.6%) women. The rate of CIN 2+ lesion in women with abnormal cytology was 28%. There was a significant difference between negative and abnormal cytology group in terms of CIN 2+ lesion rates (P < .001). Among women with initial negative cytology, invasive cervical cancer was detected in 6 (0.5%) women. The rate of invasive cervical cancer in women with abnormal cytology was 8 (1.5%). There was no significant difference between negative and abnormal cytology group in terms of invasive cervical cancer rates (P = .082).ConclusionsThe rate of cervical cancer among HPV 16/18‐infected women with negative cytology is similar to women with abnormal cytology. Based on the results of this study, Pap testing could be unnecessary in HPV 16/18‐infected women to diagnose invasive cervical cancer who will undergo colposcopy biopsy.