title: Reporting of atypical squamous cells, cannot exclude a high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (ASC-H) on cervical samples: is it significant?
abstract: "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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, Wisconsin 53792, USA. sselvaggi@facstaff.wisc.edu
authors.forename: Suzanne M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Selvaggi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006652:Histological Techniques; D006801:Humans; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000379:methods*; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*