title: The significance of hyperkeratosis in pap smears with squamous intraepithelial lesion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It was the aim of this study to evaluate the significance of reporting hyperkeratosis in cervical smears.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cervicovaginal smears with low-grade (LSIL) and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL), prepared from 2004 to 2007, were retrospectively reviewed. Anucleated squamous cells were counted. The smears were classified into two groups, based on the presence of <2 or ≥2 clusters of anucleated cells, and then compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty Pap smears showing SILs (34 LSILs and 26 HSILs) as well as 120 random satisfactory smears without squamous or glandular abnormalities were selected. A statistically significant difference was found between the SIL group and the control group regarding the mean number of hyperkeratotic clusters (2.8 in the SIL and 1.9 in the control group; p = 0.012). Moreover, the mean number of hyperkeratotic clusters (3.3 in the LSIL and 2.2 in the HSIL group) had a statistically significant correlation with the diagnosis of the lesion as LSIL or HSIL (p = 0.0006).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that hyperkeratosis in the form of ≥2 clusters of anucleated squamous cells could be an indicator of underlying LSIL.
authors: Department of Pathology, Women Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. nizadimood@yahoo.com
authors: Narges
authors: N
authors: Izadi-Mood
authors: Soheila
authors: S
authors: Sarmadi
authors: Sorour
authors: S
authors: Alijani
authors: Sara
authors: S
authors: Sanii
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007633:Keratins; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D007633:Keratins