Pseudoinvasion of vascular spaces: report of an artifact caused by cervical lidocaine injection prior to loop diathermy.
Cervical loop diathermy is a relatively new procedure performed by gynecologists to diagnose and treat squamous intraepithelial lesions. We report a case of pseudoinvasion of vascular spaces noted in an excisional biopsy of a high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion of the cervix. The neoplastic epithelium was forced into the cervical stroma by injection of local anesthetic through the lesion prior to loop diathermy. The identification of this pseudovascular space invasion as artifact had important prognostic and therapeutic value. With the increasing use of loop diathermy and local anesthesia this type of artifact may be seen more commonly.
McLachlin
C M
CM
Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115.
Devine
P
P
Muto
M
M
Genest
D R
DR
D000328:Adult; D000772:Anesthesia, Local; D016477:Artifacts; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000098:blood supply; D003972:Diathermy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*
D008012:Lidocaine