Abstract

While cytologic characteristics of squamous dysplasia, carcinoma in situ, and invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix are well documented, relatively few studies have dealt with the cellular features of microinvasive carcinoma. In order to describe the cellular characteristics of microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma, we retrospectively reviewed 45 cervovaginal smears(15 carcinoma in situ, 15 microinvasive cancer, 15 invasive cancer) which were confirmed by histologic examination of specimens obtained by hysterectomy at the Seoul National University Hospital during 5 years from 1995 to 1999. The cytologic features about tumor diathesis, inflammatory background, cell arrangement, anisonucleosis, nuclear membrane irregularity, nuclear chromatin pattern, and nucleoli were observed. The cytologic characteristics of microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix are syncytial pattern, mild tumor diathesis, the irregularity of nuclear membrane, irregularly distributed nuclear chromatin, and occurrence of micronucleoli. But, correlation between the depth of invasion and the cytologic feature had limited value.

• Keywords: Microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma;Uterine cervix;Cytology;Cervicovaginal smear