squamous intraepithelial lesion
Meaning of squamous intraepithelial lesion: This term names abnormal squamous cell changes on the cervix, graded as low or high grade depending on severity and extent.
Definition of squamous intraepithelial lesion
A squamous intraepithelial lesion is an area of abnormal squamous cell growth found on the surface of the cervix, most often identified through a Pap test or cervical biopsy. Squamous cells are the thin, flat cells that normally cover the cervix's outer surface, and this term describes changes confined to that surface layer rather than cells that have invaded deeper tissue.
These lesions are classified as low grade or high grade, depending on how much of the surface layer is affected and how abnormal the cells appear under the microscope. A low grade lesion often resolves on its own, while a high grade lesion is more likely to persist or progress if left unaddressed, though not all high grade lesions become cancer.
Squamous intraepithelial lesions are strongly associated with persistent infection by certain types of human papillomavirus, and identifying and grading a lesion helps determine how closely it should be monitored afterward.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
The Pap test result showed a low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, prompting follow-up testing.
Good to know
A squamous intraepithelial lesion describes an abnormality confined to the surface layer of cells, a distinction from invasive cancer, in which abnormal cells have grown into deeper tissue.
Word origin
Where “squamous intraepithelial lesion” comes from
Formed from Latin squama, meaning scale, describing the thin, flat squamous cells involved, and Greek epi-, meaning upon, combined with thele, meaning nipple or covering layer, in epithelial.