Cervical carcinoid associated with adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

A case of carcinoid of the cervix associated with various histological types (well-differentiated adenocarcinoma, large cell type of non-keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma and squamous dysplasia) is reported on a 40-year-old woman. Histologically, the small cell carcinoma occupies most part of the tumor and intermingles with adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. On electron microscopic examination, neurosecretory granules are observed in the cytoplasm of some tumor cells, although argyrophil granules are not detected by the Grimelius method.
Vaginal smear shows that tumor cells with a round or oval hyperchromatic nucleus and scanty cytoplasm occur singly, partly in clusters, giving an appearance of large lymphocytes. The nucleus with distinct membrane contains irregularly distributed coarsely clumped chromatin. Nucleoli are not prominent.
Small cell carcinoma of the cervix is highly malignant and difficult for detection by vaginal smear. Therefore, special attention on vaginal smear will be given for detecting such tumor.