Cytological findings of four cases of primary vaginal carcinoma

Abstract

We investigated the cytological findings of 4 cases of primary vaginal carcinoma including 2 cases of carcinoma in situ. As a result, in the cases of carcinoma in situ, the smear backgrounds were relatively clean with the presence of a large number of dyskaryotic cells of the intermediate and parabasal type, and a small number of isolated malignant cells of high N/C ratio with increased nuclear chromatin were scattered on the smear. Those cells were relatively small and compared to the case of cervical carcinoma in situ, typical “third type ” malignant cells were rarely found. On the other hand, a large number of small atypical cell clusters having Indian ink-like concentrated nuclei made their appearance. Such findings indicated similarity to early invasive carcinoma of the uterine cervix.
In the cases of invasive carcinoma, the tumor diathesis was easily recognized. Large malignant cells with prominently increased nuclear chromatin were found in large numbers. In addition, malignant cells of fiber or tadpole type were conspicuous. Such findings showed a remarkable resemblance to those on keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. Also, there was a case in which the so-called “Ghost cells” that had orange-philic cytoplasm without a nucleus were obvious.