Library · Lesion
Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)
Make it clearer
Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, shortened to CIN, is a finding in the cervix: there are abnormal cells, but they're still shut inside the epithelium, the tissue that lines that area on the inside. As long as those cells don't cross that layer into the deeper tissue, CIN is not yet an invasive cancer. It's like the paint on a wall altered in its surface layer, with the wall underneath untouched.
The grade given to a case of CIN says how far those abnormal cells have spread through the thickness of the epithelium, and nothing more. Some of these lesions can progress over time. And behind CIN there are usually types of HPV, the human papillomavirus, from the group known as high risk.
In brief
Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, or CIN, describes abnormal cells that stay within the epithelium, the tissue that lines the cervix.
At this stage, the abnormal cells have not invaded deeper tissue, so CIN is not an invasive cancer. Some lesions can progress over time.
The grade reflects how far the abnormal cells extend through the epithelium. CIN is often linked to high-risk HPV types.
Sources (2)
- National Cancer InstituteDefinition of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia
- National Cancer InstituteHPV and Cancer
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated