Screening with Anal Cytology in Colombia: Initial Experience and Need for High-Resolution Anoscopy

Anal cytology screening in men who have sex with men with HIV at a university hospital in Bogotá, Colombia

“…A minority of patients in this study with abnormal cytology underwent resection of condyloma, but the remaining patients with abnormal cytology lacked any diagnostic workup. 18 Despite this limitation, we believe our results offer important preliminary data to understand who will require access to HRA when the program at HUSI is further expanded or similar screening programs are implemented in Colombia and Latin America. Since the completion of this study, HUSI’s colorectal surgery department has acquired equipment and training to perform both HRA and HPV PCR testing, which will be used to conduct further research on anal dysplasia.…”

“…There were no results classified as ASC-H or unsatisfactory. Few ( n = 11, 16.2%) of the MSM with abnormal cytology had subsequent resection of anal condyloma by colorectal surgery, 18 of whom two received a histopathologic diagnosis of HGAIN and were re-categorized as cHSIL.…”

“…While HUSI did not have HRA available for diagnostic workup of those with abnormal anal cytology results, certain MSM had macroscopically visible anal condyloma amenable to surgical resection without HRA, which is described in more detail separately. 18 If a patient with ASC-US or LSIL on anal cytology underwent anal condyloma resection with pathology showing high-grade anal intraepithelial dysplasia (HGAIN), that patient was included in a composite HSIL group (cHSIL) for a secondary analysis. Thus, a second dichotomous outcome was those with cHSIL compared to all others (normal, ASC-US, and LSIL).…”