Browse the corpus

Atypical glandular cells (AGC) is the terminology adopted by the Bethesda system for reporting cervicovaginal cytology.[1] The Bethesda system, introduced in 1988 to standardize reporting and reduce interobserver variability, has undergone several revisions.[1][2] One major update replaced the former designation “atypical glandular cells of unknown significance (AGUS)” with AGC. This category applies when glandular cells show abnormalities too pronounced to be considered reactive or inflammatory but insufficient for a malignant diagnosis, such as endocervical adenocarcinoma in situ or invasive carcinoma. AGC is clinically significant because it encompasses a spectrum of possibilities—from benign reactive changes to dysplasia and malignancy—carrying particular weight in younger patients, whose management often relies heavily on cytologic findings.[2][3]