Biopsy and pathology
What Does Dysplasia Mean on a Biopsy Report?
Dysplasia · say it: dis-PLAY-zhuhAlso written: low-grade dysplasia, high-grade dysplasia, intraepithelial neoplasia, CIN
Short answer
Dysplasia means cells look abnormal under the microscope in a way that is not cancer, but in some tissues may lead toward cancer if left alone.
What it means
Dysplasia describes cells that have changed in size, shape and organisation compared with normal cells. It is found when tissue is looked at under a microscope, usually from a biopsy.
Dysplasia is often graded as low-grade or high-grade (or mild, moderate and severe). Higher grades look more abnormal and are more likely to progress, so they are usually treated or watched more closely.
Dysplasia is common in places such as the cervix, the oesophagus (food pipe), the bowel and the skin. Finding it early is one of the main aims of screening programmes.
Where you may see it
- Biopsy and pathology reports
- Cervical screening and colposcopy results (for example CIN 1, 2 or 3)
- Endoscopy and colonoscopy biopsy reports
📄 How it looks on a report
Colonic polyp: tubular adenoma with low-grade dysplasia.
🙅 What it does not mean
- Dysplasia is not cancer.
- It does not mean cancer will definitely develop. Low-grade changes often stay the same or go away.
- Dysplasia in one organ is not directly comparable with dysplasia in another. Follow-up depends on the tissue.
🎯 Check yourself
Which of these is the right meaning of “Dysplasia”?
🗒️ Questions to ask your doctor
🧾 Reports where you will see “Dysplasia”
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🔗 Read more from trusted sources
- “Dysplasia” on MedlinePlus ↗
US National Library of Medicine
- NCI Dictionary definition ↗
US National Cancer Institute: “dysplasia”
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More words: biopsy and pathology
General information about a medical word, not advice about your own results. Ask the clinician who ordered the test what it means for you.