Cervical Dysplasia

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Medical Author:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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Cervical dysplasia refers to the presence of precancerous changes of the cells that make up the inner lining of the cervix, the opening to the womb (uterus). The term dysplasia refers to the abnormal appearance of the cells when viewed under the microscope. The degree and extent of abnormality seen on a tissue sample (such as a Pap smear) was formerly referred to as mild, moderate, or severe dysplasia. In recent years, this nomenclature has been replaced by two newer systems. These systems are based upon changes in the appearance of cells visualized when smears of individual cells (cytological changes) or tissue biopsies (histological changes) are reviewed under a microscope.

1. Squamous intraepithelial lesion is the pathology terminology for cervical dysplasia observed in smears of cells taken from the cervix. Squamous refers to the type of cell that lines the cervix. intraepithelial refers to the fact that these cells are present in the lining tissue of the cervix.
   
   
2. Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia is cervical dysplasia that is observed on a cervical biopsy or surgically removed cervix.

These classification systems will be further discussed below.