Abstract
Introduction: Warts are common skin lesions worldwide, particularly in children and adolescents, with a prevalence of 5–30%. They can, however, affect all age groups. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) and assess the diagnostic value of serological anti-HPV testing compared with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in women with genital lesions.
Methods: In this cross-sectional diagnostic evaluation, 50 women with genital lesions were enrolled, including 25 participants who tested positive and 25 who tested negative for HPV types 16 and 18 by PCR. Demographic and clinical data were collected, including age, smoking status, age at first sexual intercourse, number of sexual partners, number and location of warts, underlying diseases, marital status, lesion site (intra- or extragenital), history of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and oral contraceptive use. Findings were compared between groups.
Results: Warts were more frequently located outside the uterus than inside. Anti-HPV testing was positive in 70% of participants, including 84% of PCR-positive participants and 56% of PCR-negative participants. The test demonstrated a sensitivity of 84%, specificity of 44%, positive predictive value of 60%, and negative predictive value of 73.3%. Early age at first sexual intercourse and no prior history of STDs were identified as risk factors for HPV infection.
Conclusion: In this study, based on PCR, anti-HPV serology was more sensitive than specific. However, estimates of diagnostic performance, in particular PPV and NPV, may not be generalizable due to the small sample size.