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Reporting of atypical squamous cells, cannot exclude a high‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (ASC‐H) on cervical samples: Is it significant?
Author(s) -
Selvaggi Suzanne M.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
diagnostic cytopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.417
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1097-0339
pISSN - 8755-1039
DOI - 10.1002/dc.10303
Subject(s) - squamous intraepithelial lesion , medicine , squamous metaplasia , bethesda system , pathology , lesion , cytology , cytopathology , squamous carcinoma , cervical intraepithelial neoplasia , cervical cancer , carcinoma , epithelium , cancer
“Atypical squamous cells, cannot exclude a high‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (ASC‐H)” is a new diagnostic category in the 2001 Bethesda nomenclature system for cervical cytology. The purpose of this 7‐mo retrospective study (March 1, 2002–September 30, 2002) was to evaluate the significance of ASC‐H on cervical Thin Prep® Pap Tests™. During this period, 25 (0.27%) of 9,214 Pap Tests were diagnosed as ASC‐H, 22 of which resulted in either follow‐up cervical biopsies and/or cervical cones, and which formed the basis of this study. Tissue specimens (22 cases) were negative in 5 cases (23%) and positive in 17 cases (77%). Of the positive specimens, there were 2 (12%) low‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) and 15 (88%) high‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL). Of the 22 cases, ASC‐H diagnoses included immature/atypical squamous metaplasia vs. a squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) in 19 (86%) cases, and tight clusters of small cells with a high nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio in 3 (14%) cases. The results of this study indicate that the reporting of ASC‐H on cervical samples does lead to the detection of HSILs in a significant number of cases (68% in this study). Therefore, further evaluation of the patient is warranted. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2003;29:38–41. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.