Laboratories use one of two systems to classify Pap smear results.
Traditional Reporting System
The older system classifies each cell sample as
|
Class I |
Normal |
|
Class II |
Atypical |
|
Class III |
Mild, moderate, or severe abnormality |
|
Class IV |
|
|
Class V |
Suspicious for an invasive cancer, that is, cancer that is likely to infiltrate and destroy surrounding tissue |
The Bethesda System
Developed during a conference of cancer specialists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this newer system is replacing the older classification method.
The Bethesda System classifies the adequacy of cell samples as
- satisfactory
- limited
- unsatisfactory
It describes epithelial cells as
- normal
- benign or noncancerous
- abnormal
The Bethesda System further classifies abnormal epithelial cells - the cells that make up the mucous membrane that lines the
- atypical
squamous cells of unknown significance (ASCUS) - low-grade squamous intraepithelial
lesion (LSIL) - high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL)
Abnormalities in cells that line the glands of the cervix may be
- atypical glandular cells of undetermined significance (AGUS)
- adenocarcinoma, that is, cancer of the glandular cells of the cervix
