Diagnose primary or metastatic neoplasm; detect Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. High-risk HPV test is used for types 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, and 68, without differentiation of the individual type. If the Pap evaluation is within normal limits and the initial HPV test is positive, then the residual specimen will be tested individually for high-risk HPV types 16 and 18,45.
Failure to obtain adequate ectocervical, endocervical, or vaginal cell population is suboptimal for evaluation. Excessive use of lubricating jelly on the vaginal speculum will interfere with cytologic examination and may lead to unsatisfactory Pap results.
The use of the liquid-based cytology specimen for multiple tests may limit the volume available for Pap reprocessing or HPV testing. A negative result does not exclude the possibility of an HPV infection since very low levels of infection or sampling error may produce a false-negative result. This test detects only the 14 most common high-risk HPV types. When reflex conditions are met, HPV type 16 and type 18,45 testing is performed.
Testing for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae requires special procedures to be used in the processing of the cytology specimen; therefore testing for these organisms cannot be added on after the specimen has been submitted. The liquid-based cytology specimen must be processed for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae testing.