title: Limiting factors for cytopathological diagnosis of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions: a cytohistological correlation between findings in cervical smears and loop electrical excision procedure.
abstract: The present study sought possible factors leading to the cytological diagnosis of atypical squamous cells of uncertain significance (ASCUS) in cases of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL). Based on retrospective histopathological analysis of loop electrical excision procedure (LEEP) products that diagnosed HSIL, two study groups were randomly selected. The first was consisted of cases with two consecutive Papanicolaou (Pap) smears with the diagnosis of ASCUS. The second (control) group was represented by cases diagnosed as HSIL by cytology. From the Pap smears diagnosed as ASCUS, the sampling limitations was different from control group (P < 0.05). The median size of the largest lesion in each case with ASCUS was 2.66 mm (+/- 1.71 mm). In the control group, the median size of the largest lesion was 5.15 mm (+/-2.58 mm) (P < 0.05). The size of the lesion and sample limitations led patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasms to be diagnosed as ASCUS for two consecutive times, after a 6-mo period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Hospital de Clinicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. alvaropi@bsi.com.br
authors.forename: Alvaro P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Pinto AP
authors.forename: Felipe F B
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Tuon
authors.forename: Luiz Fernando Bleggi
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: Luiz Martins
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Collaço
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020884:Colpotomy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D011897:Random Allocation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000379:methods*