Abstract
Small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix is a rare type of gynecological tumor that frequently expresses neuroendocrine differentiation. Its histological origin is unclear. We examined the histopathological characteristics of small cell cervical carcinoma in a patient with elevated serum adrenocorticotropin hormone. We then studied the morphological alteration in xenotransplanted tumors (passages 1–9) using immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. The primary cervical tumor was characterized by a sheetlike arrangement of uniform small cells with hyperchromatic nuclei and a high nucleocytoplasmic ratio. A ribbon-like or trabecular pattern was also observed in a small area of the tumor. Neuron-specific enolase, chromogranin A, and S-100 were positive for the tumor cells, but cytokeratin was negative. Dense-core granules were detected by electron microscopy. In the xenografted tumor, a serial change from squamous cells to round-to-oval cells was observed. Cytokeratin was immunohistochemically stained in the squamous tumor cells but not in the other tumor cells. In contrast, chromogranin A was stained in some of the round-to-oval cells. Basal lamina underlaid the squamous tumor cells, and desmosome-like junctions were apparent. The cytoplasm was filled with well-differentiated organelles including electron-dense tonofilaments. Elliptical tumor cells resembled the primary carcinoma ultrastructurally. These findings suggest that small cell cervical carcinoma with neuroendocrine properties shares the characteristics of squamous cell carcinoma.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Minna JD, Higgins GA, Glatstein EJ (1985) Cancer of the lung. In: Devita VT Jr, Hellman S, Rosenberg SA (eds) Cancer. Principles and practice of oncology. Lippincott, Philadelphia, p 514
Kurman RJ, Norris HJ, Wilkinson E (1992) Tumor of the cervix. In: Kurman RJ, Norris HJ, Wilkinson E (eds) Tumors of the cervix, vagina, and vulva. Atlas of tumor pathology, 3rd series, fasc 4. Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington DC, pp 37–139
Tateishi R, Wada A, Hayakawa K, Hongo J, Ishii S, Terakawa N (1973) Argyrophil cell carcinoma (apudomas) of the uterine cervix. Light and electron microscopic observations of 5 cases. Virchows Arch A 366:257–274
Albores-Saavedra J, Larraza O, Poucell S, Martinez HAR (1976) Carcinoid of the uterine cervix. Additional observations on a new tumor entity. Cancer (Phila) 38:2328–2342
Matsuyama M, Inoue T, Ariyoshi Y, Doi M, Suchi T, Sato T, Tashiro K, Chihara T (1979) Argyrophil cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix with ectopic production of ACTH, β-MSH, serotonin, histamine, and amylase. Cancer (Phila) 44:1813–1823
Groben P, Reddick R, Askin F (1985) The pathologic spectrum of small cell carcinoma of the cervix. Int J Gynecol Pathol 4:42–57
Gersell DJ, Mazoujian G, Mutch DG, Rudloff MA (1988) Small-cell undifferentiated carcinoma of the cervix. A clinicopathologic, ultrastructural, and immunocytochemical study of 15 cases. Am J Surg Pathol 12:684–698
Stoler MH, Mills SE, Gersell DJ, Walker AN (1991) Small-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix. A human papillomavirus type 18-associated cancer. Am J Surg Pathol 15:28–32
Reagan JW, Hamonic MJ, Wentz WB (1957) Analytical study of the cells in cervical squamous-cell cancer. Lab Invest 6:241–250
Abell MR (1973) Invasive carcinoma of the uterine cervix. In: Norris HJ (ed) The uterus. International Academy of Pathology Monograph, Baltimore, pp 413–456
Jones HW, Plymate S, Gluck FB, Miles PA, Greene JF Jr (1976) Small cell non-keratinizing carcinoma of the cervix associated with ACTH production. Cancer 38:1629–1635
aroca PJ, Dhurandhar H (1980) Basoloid carcinoma of uterine cervix. Am J Surg Pathol 4:235–239
Jacobs AL, Marchevsky A, Gordon RE, Deppe G, Cohen C (1980) Oat cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix in a pregnant woman treated withcis-diamminedichloroplatinum. Gynecol Oncol 9:405–410
Fujii S, Konishi I, Ferenczy A, Imai K, Okamura H, Mori T (1986) Small cell undifferentiated carcinoma of the uterine cervix: histology, ultrastructure, and immunohistochemistry of two cases. Ultrastruct Pathol 10:337–346
Barrett RJ II, Davos I, Leuchter RS, Lagasse LD (1987) Neuroendocrine features in poorly differentiated and undifferentiated carcinomas of the cervix. Cancer 60:2325–2330
Scully RF, Bonfiglio TA, Kurman RJ, Silverberg SG, Wilkinson EJ (1994) Uterine cervix. In: Scully RE, Bonfiglio TA, Kurman RJ, Silverberg SG, Wilkinson EJ (eds) World Health Organization international histological classification of tumors. Histologic typing of female genital tract tumours, 2nd edn. Springer-Verlag, New York, pp 39–54
van Nagell JR Jr, Powell DE, Gallion HH, Elliott DG, Donaldson ES, Carpenter AE, Higgins RV, Kryscio R, Pavlik DJ (1988) Small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Cancer (Phila) 62:1586–1593
Ambros RA, Park J-S, Shah KV, Kurman RJ (1991) Evaluation of histologic, morphometric, and immunohistochemical criteria in the differential diagnosis of small cell carcinomas of the cervix with particular reference to human papillomavirus type 16 and 18. Mod Pathol 4:586–593
Fox H, Kazzaz B, Langley FA (1964) Argyrophil and argentaffin cells in the female genital tract and in ovarian mucinous cysts. J Pathol Bacteriology 88:479–488
Pearse AGE (1974) The APUD cell concept and its implications in pathology. Pathol Annu 9:27–42
Crum CP, Rubio T, Shen J, Richart RM (1983) Small-cell cancer of the cervix. Contemp Obstet Gynecol 119–132
Terasaki T, Shimosato Y, Nakajima T, Tsumuraya M, Ichinose H, Nagatsu T, Kato K (1987) Reversible squamous cell characteristics induced by vitamin A deficiency in a small cell lung cancer cell line. Cancer Res 47:3533–3537
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Katabuchi, H., Ohtake, H., Tashiro, H. et al. Squamous cell characteristics in small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix: histological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural study in xenografted small cell carcinoma. Med Electron Microsc 30, 202–208 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01545771
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01545771