title: Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance in girls and women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the outcome of adolescents with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) on cytology.
  
  
  METHODS
  A review of ASC-US cytology in girls and women aged 10-19 years between 1995 and 1999 was performed. The cytologic and histologic follow-up of each patient was evaluated. The outcome was recorded as the most significant (highest grade) subsequent cervical smear or biopsy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 535 of 7897 (6.8%) cervical cytologic specimens were reported as ASC-US. The study group consisted of 398 patients for whom pathologic follow-up was available. The mean duration of follow-up was 19 months. Follow-up consisted of repeat cytology in 251 (63%) patients and colposcopy with cervical biopsies and/or endocervical curettage in 147 (37%) of the adolescents. Two hundred fifty-three (64%) adolescents had no pathologic abnormalities on follow-up. Persistent ASC-US was identified in 65 (16%), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions/cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 1 was found in 44 (11%) and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions/CIN 2 or 3 occurred in 36 (9%) of the adolescents. No cases of invasive carcinoma were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among adolescents with ASC-US, the rate of squamous intraepithelial lesions/CIN is similar to that of adults. Although the optimal management of ASC-US in adolescents is unknown, these patients warrant close follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  III
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri 63110, USA. wrightj@msnotes.wustl.edu
authors.forename: Jason D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Anil B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Matthew A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.forename: Danielle W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Karen R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Pinto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D018450:Disease Progression; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D018307:Neoplasms, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000473:pathology*