Cytohistologic correlation between AGUS and biopsy-detected lesions in postmenopausal women

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate histologic findings in patients aged 50 and older wh ose cervical smears revealed atypical glandular cells of undetermined signi ficance (AGUS). STUDY DESIGN: Computerized records spanning a four-year period were retro-s pectively analyzed. Thirty patients over age 50 had cer vical smears interp reted as AGUS and had follow-up biopsies within 12 months following the abn ormal smear. The most important histologic diagnosis from the biopsy specim ens was correlated with the subcategory of the cervical smear. RESULTS: Five smears interpreted as AGUS, favor reactive, revealed abnormal histology in four cases: three endometrial polyps and one squamous carcino ma. Two smears interpreted as AGUS, favor dysplasia, revealed squamous intr aepithelial lesions on biopsy in both cases. Seventeen smears interpreted a s AGUS, favor endometrial cells, revealed abnormal histology in 13 cases: 1 docervical polyp, 6 endometrial polyps, 3 endometrial hyperplasias and 3 a denomyosis. Six patients with smears interpreted las AGUS, unclassifiable, revealed abnormal histology in five cases: two endocervical polyps, one end ometrial polyp, one endometrial carcinoma and one ovarian carcinoma. CONCLUSION: The presence of AGUS in cervical smears from women over 50 was highly predictive of abnormal lesions detected by histologic examination. A lthough three cancers were detected on histologic follow-zip, the most comm on lesions detected were endometrial polyps.