Significance of Atypical Squamous Cells and Atypical Glandular Cells: Similar but Dissimilar

Abstract

Since 1988 when the Bethesda System (TBS) was first adopted⁽¹⁾, two modifications were subsequently carried out in 1991 and 2001^(2,3). One of the major changes in TBS 2001 is the revision of a terminology used for atypical squamous and glandular cells. TBS 2001 replaced “atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS)” and “atypical glandular cells of undetermined significance (AGUS or AGCUS)” in TBS 1988 and 1991 with simply “atypical squamous cells (ASC)” and “atypical glandular cells (AGC)”, respectively.