You answered: Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance
     Sorry, that is INCORRECT

The correct diagnosis is: High-grade squamous intra-epithelial lesion

CYTOPATHOLOGY:

• Disordered and irregular aggregates of highly atypical cells are present.
• Cell crowding is readily apparent, with altered nuclear polarity.
• Cytoplasm is scant to absent in many groups, while other clusters have well-defined, dense basophilic cytoplasm.
• The nuclei are irregular and hyperchromatic

DISCUSSION:

• The cervical biopsy reveals a high-grade squamous intra-epithelial lesion.
• Interpretation of crowded cell clusters can be very difficult. Looking for hyperchromatic nuclei, irregular nuclear membranes, and dense cytoplasm would aid in the diagnosis of a squamous lesion.
• Nuclear palisading can be seen in fragments from squamous carcinoma in situ and in the absence of definite gland formation, rosettes or feathering, are more likely squamous than endocervical.

BACK TO IMAGES                            HISTOLOGY

REFERENCES:

Bonfiglio TA, Erozan YS. Gynecologic Cytopathology. Philadelphia: Lipincott-Raven 1997:145.

Solomon D, Nayar R et al. The Bethesda System for Reporting Cervical Cytology 2nd Edition. New York: Springer-Verlag 2004: 80-81.