What does atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance ASC-US mean?
Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) means that abnormal looking cells were seen on your Pap test. ASC-US is a preliminary result and not a final diagnosis.
What does ASC-US stand for?
Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) is a category of cervical epithelial cell abnormalities described by the Bethesda system for reporting cervical cytology.
What does ASC-US mean on a Pap smear?
Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) means that abnormal looking cells were seen in your Pap test. It is a preliminary result and not a final diagnosis. Conditions associated with ASC-US include non-cancerous changes and the pre-cancerous disease low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL).
What is the most common cause of ASC-US?
Causes of ASC-US include human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, inflammation of the cervix, postmenopausal status, and prior radiation therapy. What does atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance look like under the microscope?
Should I be worried about ASCUS?
If abnormal cells persist or the condition worsens, referral to specialist clinic for colposcopy will be required. Since the progression from severe deterioration of cervical cells to cancer generally takes about 5 to 10 years, the condition does not pose any immediate threat, please do not worry excessively.
What does ASCUS positive mean?
Listen to pronunciation. A finding of abnormal cells in the tissue that lines the outer part of the cervix. ASCUS is the most common abnormal finding in a Pap test. It may be a sign of infection with certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) or other types of infection, such as a yeast infection.
What happens if you have ASCUS?
ASCUS stands for atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance' and means your test results are abnormal. An abnormal result indicates there are some cells in your cervix that are not 'normal' and need to be checked for possible HPV.
Are ASCUS cells cancerous?
ASCUS is a very common Pap test abnormality and often means that there is no actual disease. However, ASCUS Pap results could be an early warning of a pre-cancer change (dysplasia) or cervical cancer, and should always be followed up.
How is ASCUS treated?
ASCUS treatment includes repeated cytology, HPV typization and colposcopy. Protocol of monitoring depended on the result of repeated PAP test.
Can you have ASCUS without HPV?
ASCUS may also appear in women with low hormone levels and those with benign growths, such as cysts or polyps. The presence of HPV is linked to cervical cancer. If no HPV cells are found, additional testing should be done every three years, according to CDC guidelines.
How do you get ascus?
ASCUS may be caused by a vaginal infection or an infection with a virus called HPV (human papillomavirus, or wart virus). Your doctor will talk with you about the options of looking at your cervix with a microscope (colposcopy) or repeating your Pap smear every six months for two years.
Should I worry about atypical squamous cells?
Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US)—ASC-US means that changes in the cervical cells have been found. The changes are almost always a sign of an HPV infection. The changes may also be a result of infection or inflammation. ASC-US is the most common abnormal Pap test result.
Which is worse ascus or LSIL?
This means your Pap smear results are borderline, between normal and abnormal. ASC-H (Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance-cannot exclude HSIL). This means your Pap smear results are borderline but may be more serious. LSIL (Low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion).
Can ASCUS cause pain?
The ASCUS rate was higher in all parity groups and was commonly associated with pain in lower abdomen and vaginal discharge.
When should I repeat Pap if ASCUS and negative HPV?
HPV testing (high risk types) is the preferred method for triage of ASCUS results using liquid cytology for ages 25-65. If 21-24 years, repeat PAP in 12 months. Screening practice should not change on the basis of HPV vaccination.
Is HPV caused by STD?
HPV is the most common STI. There were about 43 million HPV infections in 2018, many among people in their late teens and early 20s. There are many different types of HPV. Some types can cause health problems, including genital warts and cancers.
How do you get ASCUS?
ASCUS may be caused by a vaginal infection or an infection with a virus called HPV (human papillomavirus, or wart virus). Your doctor will talk with you about the options of looking at your cervix with a microscope (colposcopy) or repeating your Pap smear every six months for two years.
Should I worry about atypical squamous cells?
Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US)—ASC-US means that changes in the cervical cells have been found. The changes are almost always a sign of an HPV infection. The changes may also be a result of infection or inflammation. ASC-US is the most common abnormal Pap test result.
What does ASCUS with positive high risk HPV cervical mean?
The positive high-risk HPV result simply means that one of the concerning strains of HPV was found in the cells around the cervix. The “normal” part of your result means that the cervical cells look normal when examined under a microscope — so the virus hasn't caused any detectable changes or damage.
What is worse ASCUS or LSIL?
This means your Pap smear results are borderline, between normal and abnormal. ASC-H (Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance-cannot exclude HSIL). This means your Pap smear results are borderline but may be more serious. LSIL (Low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion).
What are atypical squamous cells?
Atypical squamous cells that are related to an underlying SIL are associated with HPV infection. Following the initial acquisition of hrHPV, there is an inflammatory response that resolves after a short time. The chronic cases progress to more severe persistent infection associated with nuclear and cytoplasmic changes. In the presence of hrHPV 16 and 18, the viral genes E6 and E7 are thought to encode viral proteins in the infected squamous cells that promote the degradation of tumor suppressor gene proteins p53 and Rb respectively, resulting in malignant transformation. [26][47] Mahira Jahic and Elmir Jahic did a prospective analysis of 1,784 Pap smears and found that, out of 254 abnormal smears, overall, 74% persisted, 8% regressed, and 18% progressed to the worse stage.[46] Studies using immunohistochemistry have associated the loss of certain capsid proteins in ASC-US specimens with progression to a more severe form of precancer. Eun Young Ki and colleagues showed that detection of HPV serotypes 16 and 18 in the absence of HPV L1 capsid expression predicted worsening of precancer.[48] HIV positivity has also been known to promote HPV persistence and associated with a higher incidence of ASC-US. [25][49] Furthermore, a low CD4 count and not being on antiretroviral therapy were associated with the persistence of HPV infection. [50][49][31][51][46][47][12]
What is the significance of ASC US?
The diagnosis of ASC-US begins to gain clinical significance when it is associated with a positive hrHPV diagnosis. Both reflex HPV DNA testing and co-testing have reported a high incidence of hrHPV in ASC-US specimens. [60][34] The 'U' in ASC-US stands for 'undetermined' significance because it is unclear how much of the ASC-US may resolve to become negative and how much would persist and progress to become low- or high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion.[68] Also, the main factors responsible for persistence are not fully understood, though hrHPV infection is known to persist more in HIV positive patients compared to HIV negative patients, resulting in a higher incidence of invasive cervical cancer in HIV positive patients. [69][25]
What is ASC US?
ASC-US is a cytopathology term that implies cervical epithelial cell abnormalities described by the Bethesda system for reporting cervical cytology. It refers to abnormal cytologic changes that are suggestive of SIL but are qualitatively and quantitatively less than those of a definitive SIL diagnosis.[1] The morphologic criteria of ASC-US include cells that have the shape and size of superficial or intermediate squamous cells with enlarged nuclei 2.5 to 3 times the area of those of normal intermediate squamous cells, slightly increased nucleo-cytoplasmic ratio, with minimum hyperchromatism and irregular chromatin. The cytoplasm may show halo and atypical parakeratosis (dense orangeophilic). These criteria may vary slightly among different laboratories due to differences in slide preparation and staining techniques. [52][53][54] The distinction between a true premalignant lesion and a neoplastic one is based on the number, type, and severity of change both in the nucleus and cytoplasm. An ASC-US smear may also show mitosis, blurring of cytoplasmic borders, binucleation, and corneal pearls. Other histologic changes include squamous epithelial giant cells and parakeratosis.[55] Hyperchromasia and enlargement of nucleoli suggest a progression from a ‘mere’ ASC-US to LSIL/CIN 1 plus. [56][57] Histologically and as described earlier, the CIN histological classification is a three-tier grading of CIN that corresponds to the number of layers of epithelial cells affected by atypia.
What does ASC-US mean?
What does the result atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance mean? Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) means that abnormal-looking cells were seen on your Pap test. ASC-US is a preliminary result and not a final diagnosis. Conditions associated with ASC-US include non-cancerous changes such as inflammation in ...
What causes ASC US?
Causes of ASC-US include human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, inflammation of the cervix, postmenopausal status, and prior radiation therapy. For most patients, the condition that caused the changes seen in ASC-US will resolve on its own over time.
How long does it take for a squamous cell to be seen again?
If ASC-US is seen again, another Pap test is performed in 6 months.
Is ASC-US a final diagnosis?
ASC-US is a preliminary result and not a final diagnosis. Conditions associated with ASC-US include non-cancerous changes such as inflammation in the cervix and the pre-cancerous disease low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL). The cells in ASC-US are not cancer cells.
What is squamous cell?
Squamous cells are thin and flat and grow on the surface of a healthy cervix . In the case of ASCUS, the Pap smear reveals slightly abnormal squamous cells, but the changes don't clearly suggest that precancerous cells are present.
Why do women get an acus?
For some women, an ASCUS result is due to changes in the cervical cells caused by HPV infection. 3 With the liquid-based Pap smear test, your healthcare provider can reanalyze the sample to check for the presence of certain high-risk types of HPV virus known to promote the development of cancers like cervical cancer.
What happens if abnormal cells are found during a Pap smear?
If abnormal or unusual cells were discovered during your Pap smear, you're said to have a positive result.
What is an atypical squamous cell?
ASCUS, short for atypical squamous cells of unknown significance, refers to a result on a pap smear. Pap smears are an annual test that all sexually active women should have. The test involves scraping the cells of the cervix to look for abnormal cell changes, which can eventually lead to cervical cancer. When ASCUS is detected on ...
Does ASCUS necessitate colposcopy?
However, the presence of the virus in conjunction with ASCUS necessitates the colposcopy because, in this context, there is a strong probability that the virus is causing cell changes in the cervix that could eventually lead to cervical cancer if untreated.
