How should we grade CIN?

Abstract

How should we grade CIN? The grading of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is problematic. CIN represents a morphological continuum, but biopsies displaying this lesion are classified into two (e.g. Bethesda) or three grade categories, sometimes with poor reproducibility. There are also difficulties in reliably distinguishing low-grade CIN from its reactive simulants. Because of problems with inter- and intra-observer disagreement in the grading of CIN and the diagnosis of low-grade lesions, three expert contributions were commissioned to address the question 'how should we grade CIN?'.