A colposcopic survey was performed in 269 consecutive women with negative cytology showing hyperkeratosis or parakeratosis. A colposcopy-guided biopsy specimen of cervical abnormalities was taken in 88 cases, and human papillomavirus infection (HPV) was detected histologically in 25 cases. No cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) was detected. The detection rate of HPV was not significantly different from that observed in a consecutive series of 1073 Papanicolaou test-negative subjects self-referred for colposcopy. Colposcopic screening of subjects showing hyperkeratosis or parakeratosis with otherwise negative smears is not recommended because it does not allow detection of cytologically false-negative CIN.