title: Behçet's disease in a vaginal smear. Report of a case with cytologic features and their distinction from squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: A 52-year-old woman who had undergone a hysterectomy 15 years previously for benign disease presented with ulcerative lesions on the perigenital skin and external genitalia. A Papanicolaou smear of the vagina, unaccompanied by any history, showed a heavy, purulent exudate and many isolated pleomorphic and keratinizing squamous cells. The findings were suggestive of squamous cell carcinoma. Subsequently obtained clinical data revealed a long-standing history of ulcerating oral and genital lesions of Behçet's disease. Biopsy confirmed the nonneoplastic ulcerative nature of the process. Given this cytologic pattern, the presence of a substantial purulent exudate and the identification of cytologic features suggesting reparative epithelial changes should caution the observer against an interpretation of squamous cell carcinoma and suggest the presence of a nonneoplastic ulcerative process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Wilbur
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maurer
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000473:pathology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014626:Vaginal Smears