Biomaterial Database

Nondiagnostic squamous atypia of the cervix (atypical squamous epithelium of undetermined significance): histologic and molecular correlates. 1994

C J Prasad, and D R Genest, and C P Crum

Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.

The histologic criteria for reactive/reparative lesions and precursor lesions (squamous intraepithelial lesions; SIL) of the cervix are established, but a proportion of cervical biopsies contains squamous epithelial alterations that do not fall into either category (nondiagnostic squamous atypia or atypical squamous epithelium of undetermined significance). This study examined (a) the degree to which this diagnosis could be made consistently between two experienced pathologists and (b) its relationship to papillomavirus nucleic acids. One author selected 37 cervical biopsies with a spectrum of cellular changes occurring in the context of inflammatory or reactive epithelial changes, and each case was reviewed by two pathologists independently and classified as reactive, nondiagnostic atypia, and diagnostic (SIL). Concordance between two observers was highest for a diagnosis of SIL (kappa = 0.68), followed by reparative/reactive (kappa = 0.48). Concordance for a designation as nondiagnostic squamous atypia was fair (kappa = 0.39). Seven of 37 (19%) cases were HPV positive, including 2/7, 5/19, and 0/11 cases designated by at least one observer as SIL, nondiagnostic squamous atypia, or neither (i.e., both reactive), respectively. The findings support a category of nondiagnostic squamous atypia but emphasize the value of a second observer and possibly, HPV DNA testing, in resolving such cases. Similarities in HPV positivity between nondiagnostic atypia and SIL in this study may reflect problems of both criteria selection and consistent application of these criteria in a setting of reactive/reparative changes.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011230	Precancerous Conditions	Pathological conditions that tend eventually to become malignant.	Preneoplastic Conditions,Condition, Preneoplastic,Conditions, Preneoplastic,Preneoplastic Condition,Condition, Precancerous,Conditions, Precancerous,Precancerous Condition
D002578	Uterine Cervical Dysplasia	Abnormal development of immature squamous EPITHELIAL CELLS of the UTERINE CERVIX, a term used to describe premalignant cytological changes in the cervical EPITHELIUM. These atypical cells do not penetrate the epithelial BASEMENT MEMBRANE.	Cervical Dysplasia,Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia,Cervix Dysplasia,Dysplasia of Cervix Uteri,Neoplasia, Cervical Intraepithelial,Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia, Grade III,Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasms,Intraepithelial Neoplasia, Cervical,Cervical Dysplasia, Uterine,Cervical Dysplasias,Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasm,Cervix Uteri Dysplasia,Cervix Uteri Dysplasias,Dysplasia, Cervical,Dysplasia, Cervix,Dysplasia, Uterine Cervical,Intraepithelial Neoplasm, Cervical,Intraepithelial Neoplasms, Cervical,Neoplasm, Cervical Intraepithelial,Neoplasms, Cervical Intraepithelial
D002583	Uterine Cervical Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the UTERINE CERVIX.	Cancer of Cervix,Cancer of the Cervix,Cancer of the Uterine Cervix,Cervical Cancer,Cervical Neoplasms,Cervix Cancer,Cervix Neoplasms,Neoplasms, Cervical,Neoplasms, Cervix,Uterine Cervical Cancer,Cancer, Cervical,Cancer, Cervix,Cancer, Uterine Cervical,Cervical Cancer, Uterine,Cervical Cancers,Cervical Neoplasm,Cervical Neoplasm, Uterine,Cervix Neoplasm,Neoplasm, Cervix,Neoplasm, Uterine Cervical,Uterine Cervical Cancers,Uterine Cervical Neoplasm
D004279	DNA, Viral	Deoxyribonucleic acid that makes up the genetic material of viruses.	Viral DNA
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014412	Tumor Virus Infections	Infections produced by oncogenic viruses. The infections caused by DNA viruses are less numerous but more diverse than those caused by the RNA oncogenic viruses.	Fibroma, Shope,Papilloma, Shope,Infections, Tumor Virus,Infection, Tumor Virus,Shope Fibroma,Shope Papilloma,Tumor Virus Infection
D014626	Vaginal Smears	Collection of pooled secretions of the posterior vaginal fornix for cytologic examination.	Cervical Smears,Cervical Smear,Smear, Cervical,Smear, Vaginal,Smears, Cervical,Smears, Vaginal,Vaginal Smear
D015588	Observer Variation	The failure by the observer to measure or identify a phenomenon accurately, which results in an error. Sources for this may be due to the observer's missing an abnormality, or to faulty technique resulting in incorrect test measurement, or to misinterpretation of the data. Two varieties are inter-observer variation (the amount observers vary from one another when reporting on the same material) and intra-observer variation (the amount one observer varies between observations when reporting more than once on the same material).	Bias, Observer,Interobserver Variation,Intraobserver Variation,Observer Bias,Inter-Observer Variability,Inter-Observer Variation,Interobserver Variability,Intra-Observer Variability,Intra-Observer Variation,Intraobserver Variability,Inter Observer Variability,Inter Observer Variation,Inter-Observer Variabilities,Inter-Observer Variations,Interobserver Variabilities,Interobserver Variations,Intra Observer Variability,Intra Observer Variation,Intra-Observer Variabilities,Intra-Observer Variations,Intraobserver Variabilities,Intraobserver Variations,Observer Variations,Variabilities, Inter-Observer,Variabilities, Interobserver,Variabilities, Intra-Observer,Variabilities, Intraobserver,Variability, Inter-Observer,Variability, Interobserver,Variability, Intra-Observer,Variability, Intraobserver,Variation, Inter-Observer,Variation, Interobserver,Variation, Intra-Observer,Variation, Intraobserver,Variation, Observer,Variations, Inter-Observer,Variations, Interobserver,Variations, Intra-Observer,Variations, Intraobserver,Variations, Observer
D027383	Papillomaviridae	A family of small, non-enveloped DNA viruses infecting birds and most mammals, especially humans. They are grouped into multiple genera, but the viruses are highly host-species specific and tissue-restricted. They are commonly divided into hundreds of papillomavirus "types", each with specific gene function and gene control regions, despite sequence homology. Human papillomaviruses are found in the genera ALPHAPAPILLOMAVIRUS; BETAPAPILLOMAVIRUS; GAMMAPAPILLOMAVIRUS; and MUPAPILLOMAVIRUS.