Cervical cancer screening during pregnancy presents unique challenges for cytologic interpretation. This review focuses on pregnancy-associated cytomorphological changes and their impact on diagnosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and cervical cancer. Pregnancy-induced alterations include navicular cells, hyperplastic endocervical cells, immature metaplastic cells, and occasional decidual cells or trophoblasts. These changes can mimic abnormalities such as koilocytosis, adenocarcinoma in situ, and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, potentially leading to misdiagnosis. Careful attention to nuclear features and awareness of pregnancy-related changes are crucial for correct interpretation. The natural history of CIN during pregnancy shows higher regression rates, particularly for CIN 2, with minimal risk of progression. Management of abnormal cytology follows modified risk-based guidelines to avoid invasive procedures, with treatment typically deferred until postpartum. The findings reported in this review emphasize the importance of considering pregnancy status in cytological interpretation, highlight potential problems, and provide guidance on differentiating benign pregnancy-related changes from true abnormalities. Understanding these nuances is essential for accurate diagnosis and proper management of cervical abnormalities in pregnant women.
Cytologic and histopathologic features and human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA detection associated with 101 cervicovaginal smears which are classified as 'atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance, rule out high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion(ASCUS, R/O HSIL)' were reviewed and compared to 89 smears of 'ASCUS, not otherwise specified(NOS)' . Cytologic fieatures of ASCUS, R/O HSIL included atypical single small cells(36.6%), hyperchromatic tissue fragments(35.6%), atypical metaplastic cells(18.8%), endometrial cell-like clusters(5.9%), and atypical parakeratotic cells(3.0%). A final diagnosis of HSIL on biopsy was assigned to 47(54.0%) of 87 women with ASCUS, R/O HSIL and to 13(14.6%) of 89 women with ASCUS, NOS ( p=0.000). There was no difference in HPV DNA detection rate between ASCUS, R/O HSIL and ASCUS, NOS smears. These data suggest that subclassification of ASCUS is helpful to manage patients because ASCUS, R/O HSIL is more often associated with an underlying HSIL on biopsy. Therefore, women with ASCUS, rule out HSIL should be actively managed with colposcopic examination.
Papillary immature metaplasia (PIM) of the uterine cervix (immature condyloma) is a subset of low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) which is frequently associated with human papilloma virus (HPV) types 6 and 11. The histologic features of PIM include filiform papillae lined by evenly spaced immature metaplastic-type cells with frequent nucleoli, mild anisokaryosis, and a low mitotic index. To characterize the cytologic changes associated with PIM, we analyzed 14 cases of PIM from our file. We reviewed biopsy slides and the cervicovaginal smears taken proximate to the time of biopsy. Histologically, nine cases had either flat condyloma (7 cases) or high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) (2 cases). Cytologic changes included cells in various stages of maturation with karyomegaly (14 cases), cells with irregularities in the nuclear membrane (13 cases), intermediate cells with karyomegaly(13 cases), cells with binucleation (13 cases), and aborted koilocytes (11 cases). Cervicovaginal smears from all cases were interpreted as atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS), NOS or ASCUS, rule out squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) or LSIL in two cases with flat condyloma or HSIL in a case with severe dysplasia.
PIM is a distinct histologic entity that can present with a spectrum of cytologic findings, but cytologic findings may resemble variable reactive conditions and immature HSIL.
Therefore, it is difficult to diagnose PIM by cytology alone. However, the meticulous efforts for making the cytologic diagnoses which can induce active management of patients are recommended because PIM is a variant of LSIL and frequently has a flat condyloma or HSIL.
Postmenopausal squamous atypia (PSA) is a phenomenon characterized by cellular alterations mimicking condyloma in the uterine cervix of postmenopausal women. It is not associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. The aim of this study is to correlate findings with HPV infection and the cytohistologic findings of PSA.
Eighty-three smears from postmenopausal women, initially interpreted as ASCUS and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions(LSIL), were reviewed according to the criteria of PSA. Fifty-eight cases were subsequently reclassified as PSA. Forty cases categorized as PSA were available for HPV-DNA detection by a nested polymerase chain reaction.
Eight of these 40 cases(20%) showed biopsy-proven LSIL lesions. The HPV-DNA was detected in 42.5%(17/40), compared to 25%(5/20) of control cases. The HPV-DNA detection rate of biopsy-proven LSIL was 62.5%(5/8). It has been concluded that cytologic differential diagnosis of PSA from LSIL is difficult due to because of poor histologic and viral correlation.