Women in a region with high incidence of cervical cancer warrant immediate colposcopy for atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance on cervical cytology.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the histopathology of women who had "atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance" (ASC-US) on cervical cytology in a region with high incidence of cervical cancer.


METHODS
Retrospective case-record review of 254 women with ASC-US cytology undergoing colposcopic examination at Nakornping Hospital between October 2003 and September 2007.


RESULTS
Of the 254 patients who had ASC-US smears underwent colposcopic and histopathologic evaluation. The mean age was 45.3 years (range, 18-72 years). The histologic diagnoses, obtained from colposcopically directed biopsy or endocervical curettage or loop electrosurgical excision procedure or cold knife conization after initial colposcopy, showed that 47 (18.5%) women had histologically confirmed high-grade lesions and 20 (7.9%) women had invasive cancers. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of high-grade or invasive lesions between who were 50 years old or more and those who were younger (50.0% and 50.5%, respectively, p = 0.39).


CONCLUSIONS
Reporting ASC-US cytology in our population is obviously associated with significant cervical pathology, particularly invasive cancer that is possible at a rate higher than previously reported. Women who have ASC-US smears should therefore be referred for immediate colposcopy regardless of age.
Suntornlimsiri
Watcharin
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Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nakornping Hospital, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D003127:Colposcopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D018307:Neoplasms, Squamous Cell / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D055815:Young Adult; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*