Cervix Cytology - Transitional (urothelial) metaplasia

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Cervix-Cytology

Normal cells / non-neoplastic findings

Transitional (urothelial) metaplasia

Reviewer: Farnaz Hasteh, M.D., UCSD Medical Center (see Reviewers page)
Revised: 20 September 2012, last major update March 2011
Copyright: (c) 2006-2012, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.

Terminology
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● Also called immature transitional (urothelial) metaplasia

Etiology
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● Associated with atrophy, menopausal women
● May be related to HPV (Cancer 2002; 96:250)

Clinical features
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● Predominantly in postmenopausal women

Cytology description
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● Clusters of cells with streaming, oval, bland nuclei containing longitudinal nuclear grooves
● May have perinuclear halos and wrinkled contours
● No/rare mitotic figures, no cilia, no crowding or nuclear atypia

Cytology images
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Transitional cell metaplasia

Squamous and transitional (urothelial) metaplasia

Positive stains
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● Positive for CK13, CK17 and CK 18 (Int J Gynecol Pathol 1999;18:125)

Negative stains
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● Negative for CK20 (unlike urothelium, which is CK20+, Int J Gynecol Pathol 1999;18:125)

Differential diagnosis
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● HSIL / CIS
● Tubal metaplasia

Additional references
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● Diagn Cytopathol 1998;18:222, Am J Surg Pathol 1997;21:510, Int J Gynecol Pathol 1997;16:89

End of Cervix-cytology > Normal cells / non-neoplastic findings > Transitional (urothelial) metaplasia

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