title: Ectopic decidual reaction of the uterine cervix: frequency and cytologic presentation.
abstract: The histologic and cytologic manifestation of cervical decidual reaction in pregnancy was investigated. Histologically, cervical decidua was found in 30.8% of 191 uteri removed during pregnancy. Characteristic features were focal occurrence, subepithelial location and frequent disruption of the overlying epithelium. Cytologically, decidual cells were found in 34% of patients with histologically confirmed cervical decidual reaction. The number of decidual cells per smear ranged from 11 to 208, with a mean of 105. The majority of cells occurred in aggregates and stained basophilic or amphophilic. Outstanding diagnostic features of decidual cells in smears were finely granular chromatin pattern in 96%, prominent nucleoli in over 80% and marked nuclear enlargement. Cytometrically, decidual cells showed a wide variation in size. The nuclear area ranged from 31 sq micrometers to 320 sq micrometers, with a mean of 111 sq micrometers. In the differential diagnosis, tissue repair, dysplasia, carcinoma in situ and endocervical adenocarcinoma must be considered.
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000473:pathology*; D003656:Decidua / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000473:pathology*; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D014626:Vaginal Smears