title: Reassessment of the morphological continuum of cervical intraepithelial lesions: does it reflect different stages in the progression to cervical carcinoma?
abstract: Currently used histological and cytological classification systems for cervical lesions are reviewed. These suffer from poor inter- and intra-observer reproducibility, and do not allow accurate identification of which mild lesions will progress towards cancer. The Bethesda classification system is described and it is postulated that low-grade and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions might represent distinct entities with different potential for progression rather than necessary stages of a continuum leading to cervical cancer. Improved understanding of the etiological role of HPV types in cervical cancer and of the natural history of low- and high-grade intraepithelial lesions might result in more suitable clinical treatment of low-grade lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle 98195.
authors.forename: N B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Kiviat
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Critchlow
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Kurman
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*; D002577:Uterine Cervical Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*