ladies, another gyno ?, what are atypical cells?!
Question: i got a pap smear and i got a letter saying atypical cells, repeat in 6 months plz someone tell me what this means?
Answers:
First of all, it's very common for young women to have a mildly abnormal Pap smear. It just means that some of the cells they sampled aren't normal and they want to check again sooner than they would otherwise (usually a year.)
Mild cases of dysplasia very often clear up on their own. It is usually caused by exposure to the human papilloma virus, which is also very common. If your immune system can clear it up on its own, then your next Pap will likely be normal. If not, your doctor will advise you of the next step. If it's the same, the next step will probably be more "wait and see" or might include a colposcopy (kind of like a Pap, but they use a scope to actually look at your cervix and they swab some solutions onto it to see how the cells react.) If it's advanced to a higher level of abnormality, then they may want to intervene; there are a couple of ways for doctors to excise a portion of the cervix, removing the abnormal part. If it gets to that, make sure you ask your doc lots of questions about the procedure and any side effects.
I had a series of mildly abnormal Paps (CIN 1, see answer above) about 5 or 6 years ago. Mine cleared up on its own without any medical intervention and my Paps have been clear ever since.
Other Answers:
I received a similar letter stating that my cells were abnormal. I telephoned my GP and she outlined that there are four stages of abnormality - abnormal, CIN 1, CIN 2 and CIN 3 with the latter being the most abnormal. I decided to follow up privately and was advised that I should undergo a procedure to burn off the cells at which time a biopsy would be taken. The procedure was not particulary sore and lasted only fifteen minutes although it was a very unpleasant experience. My pathology was subsequently CIN 3 (highest). I asked should I be concerned and his answer was that there was an 85% risk of recurrence and should this occur I would require further treatment. I did not ask what the treatment entailed. I now have to wait until October for a further smear. Finger's crossed.
"ATypical" means "as per expected.normal"
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