Cytology of malignant melanoma arising in the cervix and the vagina

in comparison with the electron microscopic findings

Abstract

A case of malignant melanoma observed in a married, nulliparous 61 years old woman with the complaint of genital bleeding was reported. The tumor arose in the cervix and continuously extended to the vagina forming the satellite lesion around the margin.
Histologically palmoplantar subungal mucosal melanoma was most suspected.
Cytologically most of the tumor cells were round, although spindle-shaped tumor cells were occasionally seen in groups. The cytoplasm of the tumor cells contained fine, granular, brownish pigments. On the other hand in histiocytes coarse and aggregated pigments werefound in the lysosomes. The N/C ratio was varied from low to high and eccentrically located nuclei were also observed. The tumor cells contained one or two small but distinct nucleoli with perinucleolar halo. The intranuclear vacuole that many authors had described in the literatures was observed in one tumor cell.
Electron microscopy revealed an intranuclear inclusion body of unknown origin. It was different from the cytoplasmic invagination shown by Sagebiel. The axon body-like structure was also found in the cytoplasm of the tumor cell.