Correlation 14: Cervical dysplasia

Normal non-keratinizing squamous epithelium is seen at the left. The cells at the right are more irregular, indicative of dysplasia, or disordered growth.

The cervical non-keratinizing squamous epithelium is subject to a variety of infections, based upon its location. One of these infections occurs with human papillomavirus (HPV), which is sexually transmitted. The HPV infection causes abnormal proliferation of the squamous cells over years' time. Out of this abnormal proliferation can arise mutations in the cells which lead to loss of growth control. The first sign of loss of control is seen as a disordered maturation of the cells from bottom basal layer to top, known as dysplasia. These abnormal cells appear on the surface and can be collected by scraping them off and placing them on a slide (Pap smear). The dysplasia can be diagnosed by the appearance of the cells on the slide. The dysplasia can be treated before it progresses to cancer.