Atypical squamous cells (ASC) of the cervix
Atypical squamous cells (ASC) are abnormal cells found on a Pap test, but the reason for the abnormalities is not known. The causes of ASC include infection or inflammation.
ASC is further classified as:
- ASC of undetermined significance (ASC-US).
- ASC but cannot exclude high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) (ASC-H).
If you have ASC-US abnormalities, your health professional will probably recommend watchful waiting or human papillomavirus (HPV) testing. ASC-H abnormalities have a higher risk of being identified as more severe changes and are evaluated with colposcopy.
| Author | Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Associate Editor | Denele Ivins |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman, MATC |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Barbara S. Apgar, MD, MS - Family Medicine, Women's Health |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Ross Berkowitz, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology |
| Last Updated | January 12, 2007 |
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
Last Updated:
January 12, 2007
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