Cytopathology

2017 Edition
| Editors: Fernando Schmitt

Atypical Immature Metaplasia

Reference work entry
First Online:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33286-4_821
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Synonyms

AIM; Atypical immature metaplasia; Atypical immature squamous metaplasia

A typical immature squamous metaplasia (AIM) refers to a full-thickness intraepithelial basaloid lesion in the uterine cervix that features both metaplasia and atypia and is therefore difficult to differentiate from high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN III)/severe dyskaryosis. The biological and clinical significance of AIM is unclear. AIM was first described by Crum et al. (1983) in 1983 and then further characterized in 1999 as a lesion “which exceeds the limits of typical squamous metaplasia. Features typical of this group of epithelial alterations include immature squamous cells, which contain greater degrees of nuclear atypia or nuclear crowding, increased mitosis, and absence of normal differentiation, yet maintain the growth pattern of immature metaplastic epithelium” (Park et al. 1999). Based on nuclear crowding, nuclear atypia, and cytoplasmic maturation, AIM may be further...

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References and Further Reading

  1. Crum, C. P., Egawa, K., Fu, Y. S., Lancaster, W. D., Barron, B., Levine, R. U., Fenoglio, C. M., & Richart, R. M. (1983). Atypical immature metaplasia (AIM). A subset of human papilloma virus infection of the cervix. Cancer, 51, 2214–2219.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  2. Geng, L., Connolly, D. C., Isacson, C., Ronnett, B. M., & Cho, K. R. (1999). Atypical immature metaplasia (AIM) of the cervix: Is it related to high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL)? Human Pathology, 30, 345–351.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  3. Iaconis, L., Hyjek, E., Ellenson, L. H., & Pirog, E. C. (2007). p16 and Ki-67 immunostaining in atypical immature squamous metaplasia of the uterine cervix: Correlation with human papillomavirus detection. Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, 131, 1343–1349.Google Scholar
  4. Kong, C. S., Balzer, B. L., Troxell, M. L., Patterson, B. K., & Longacre, T. A. (2007). p16INK4A immunohistochemistry is superior to HPV in situ hybridization for the detection of high-risk HPV in atypical squamous metaplasia. The American Journal of Surgical Pathology, 31, 33–43.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  5. Levine, T., & Gray, W. (2010). Vulva, vagina, and cervix: Normal cytology, hormonal and inflammatory conditions. In W. Gray & G. Kocjan (Eds.), Diagnostic cytopathology (3rd ed., pp. 555–598). New York: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier. Chapter 21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  6. Park, J. J., Genest, D. R., Sun, D., & Crum, C. P. (1999). Atypical immature metaplastic-like proliferations of the cervix: Diagnostic reproducibility and viral (HPV) correlates. Human Pathology, 10, 1161–1165.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. Regauer, S., & Reich, O. (2007). CK17 and p16 expression patterns distinguish (atypical) immature squamous metaplasia from high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN III). Histopathology, 50, 629–635.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentralGoogle Scholar
  8. Schimdt, D., Bergeron, C., Denton, K., & Ridder, R. (2010). High sensitivity and high specificity for CIN2+ of p16/Ki67 dual stained cytology in triage of ASC-US and LSIL: Results from the EEMAPS study. Acta Cytologica, 54(3), 404.Google Scholar
  9. Titmuss, E., & Adams, C. (2007). Cytology of the cervix. In E. Titmuss & C. Adams (Eds.), Cervical cytology: Conventional and liquid- based (pp. 11–18). London: Royal Society of Medicine Press. Chapter 5.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer International Publishing AG 2017

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Manchester Cytology Centre, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustManchester Royal InfirmaryManchesterUK
  2. 2.Department of Cytology and Gynaecologic PathologyPostgraduate Institute of Medical Education and ResearchChandigarhIndia
  3. 3.Cytology Department, The Manchester Cytology CentreCentral Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Royal InfirmaryManchesterUK
  4. 4.Institute of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medical and Human SciencesUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK