title: Clinicopathological significance of atypical glandular cells on Pap smear.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical significance of atypical glandular cells (AGC) by analyzing the prevalence and histologic outcomes of patients with AGC according to Pap smear.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of 83 patients who were diagnosed AGC on Pap tests at the Pusan National University Hospital outpatient department and health care center from January 1998 to March 2006 were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of AGC was 55 of 54,160 (0.10%) and 28 of 54,160 (0.05%) for AGC-not otherwise specified (NOS) and neoplastic associated AGC, respectively. The histopathologic results of the AGC-NOS group (n=55) were as follows: low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, 7 (12.7%); high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, 4 (7.2%); adenocarcinoma of cervix, 3 (5.4%); endometrial carcinoma, 2 (3.6%); and other malignancies including 2 ovarian cancer cases and 1 breast cancer case, 3 (5.4%). The histopathologic results for the AGC-associated neoplastic group (n=28) were as follows: low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, 1 (3.5%); high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, 3 (10.7%); adenocarcinoma of cervix, 5 (17.8%); endometrial carcinoma, 4 (4.8%); and additional malignancies including 3 stomach cancer cases, 2 ovarian cancer cases, and 2 breast cancer cases; 7 (25%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AGCs may represent a variety of benign and malignant lesions. AGC-associated neoplastic findings may be related to gynecological or extrauterine malignancies. Thus, when AGCs, especially neoplastic AGCs, are encountered, it is best to evaluate the cervix not only for typical maladies, but also for gynecological and non-gynecological malignancies.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pusan National University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors: Sun-Suk
authors: SS
authors: Kim
authors: Dong-Soo
authors: DS
authors: Suh
authors: Ki-Hyung
authors: KH
authors: Kim
authors: Man-Soo
authors: MS
authors: Yoon
authors: Kyung-Un
authors: KU
authors: Choi
keywords: Atypical glandular cell; Pap smear