Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women worldwide, studies in elucidating its pathogenesis still remains active areas of research. Infection of metaplastic epithelium at the cervical transformation zone followed by viral persistence, progression of persistently infected epithelium to cervical precancer, and invasion through the basement membrane of the epithelium remain the major steps identified in cervical cancer development. Though histologic assessment of colposcopy-guided biopsies remain the gold standard of assessment, a varying degree of inter-observer or intra-observer variability still leads to either overdiagnosis or underdiagnosis of the disease process. In our study, expression of Ki-67, a proliferation marker is used in classifying the various types of squamous metaplasia, thus predicting their potential for malignant transformation.

Key Words: Atypical immature metaplasia, Ki-67, Squamous metaplasia.