title: Pathology correlates of a Papanicolaou diagnosis of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, cannot exclude high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to compare findings after a cytologic report of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, cannot exclude high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL-H) with findings after a report of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL).
  
  
  METHODS
  A review of patient records revealed that 312 women had cytologic findings of LSIL-H, and 324 consecutive women in a comparison group had cytologic findings of LSIL during 2005. Findings over 6 months after diagnosis were retrieved and analyzed using chi-square tests, Fisher exact tests, and independent group t tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histology was available for 194 of 312 women (64%) with LSIL-H and for 184 of 324 women (57%) with LSIL. Of these, 47 of 194 women (24%) with LSIL-H had grade 2 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or greater (CIN2+) versus 13 of 184 women (7%) with LSIL (P < .0001). No cancers were identified. High-grade SIL cytology was reported in 2 of 105 women who had LSIL (2%) and in 4 of 93 women who had LSIL-H (4%). Women with LSIL-H who were positive for CIN2+ were younger than those without CIN2+ (25 years vs 30 years; P = .0067)
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinicians whose laboratories report LSIL-H should manage women who have LSIL-H with colposcopy, whereas only serial cytologic surveillance is required after a report of LSIL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, PO Box 19640, Springfield, IL 62794-9640, USA. alnourhji@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Al-Nourhji
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Beckmann
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Markwell
authors.forename: L Stewart
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Massad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003127:Colposcopy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D018307:Neoplasms, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology