Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia screening

Pap smear
The earliest microscopic change corresponding to CIN is dysplasia of the epithelial or surface lining of the cervix, which is essentially undetectable by the woman. Cellular changes associated with HPV infection, such as koilocytes, are also commonly seen in CIN. It is usually discovered by a screening test, the Papanicolaou or "pap" smear. The purpose of this test is to diagnose the disease early, while it has not yet progressed to invasive carcinoma, and thus is easy to cure.