INTEROBSERVER VARIATION IN THE REPORTING OF THE HISTOPATHOLOGICAL GRADING OF ANAL INTRAEPITHELIAL NEOPLASIA

Aim-To assess the consistency in the histological reporting of anal in traepithelial neoplasia (AIN) among experienced histopathologists. Met hod-One hundred anal biopsy specimens were retrieved from archival mat erial at St Mark's Hospital, London and graded by five histopathologis ts according to criteria outlined by Fenger (six point scale, ranging from normal to invasive carcinoma). Results-There was only moderate ag reement among the pathologists, with unweighted kappa scores ranging f rom 0.09 to 0.48, and weighted kappa scores of 0.17 to 0.60. Conclusio ns-There is considerable interobsewer variation in the reporting of AI N. A simplified system of grading may help to abolish this.