Table 2.

Diagnostic categories for cytologic diagnosis

Cytological grade	Definition
Unsatisfactory	No diagnostic specimen: acellular or hypocellular;
	Smears too thick, containing blood, obscured by inflammation or air-drying artefacts
Negative for malignancy	Adequate cellular specimens containing benign cells consistent with normal elements of the target organ
Atypical/indeterminate	Minimally abnormal cellular findings that most likely represent reactive/reparative and inflammatory type changes; Malignancy is unlikely but cannot be completely ruled out
Suspicious for malignancy	Cytologic specimens exhibit abnormal cellular findings that display some, but not all, of the features of malignancy; Specimens containing highly abnormal cells in very limited numbers
Positive for malignancy	Unquestionable cellular features of malignancy