Origin of adenocarcinoma cells observed on cervical cytology.
OBJECTIVE
To clarify the ratio of diseases suspected when malignant glandular cells are observed on cervical cytology.


METHODS
Seventy cases of cervical adenocarcinoma/adenosquamous carcinoma, 207 cases of endometrial adenocarcinoma, 7 cases of tubal adenocarcinoma and 83 cases of ovarian adenocarcinoma were reviewed. The positive rate in cervical cytology performed 3 months before surgery was calculated. Based on the positive rate for each entity and the number of cases treated in the previous 10 years, we estimated the incidence of disease responsible for malignant glandular cells on cytology.


RESULTS
The positive rate was 93% in cervical adenocarcinoma/adenosquamous carcinoma, 45% in endometrial adenocarcinoma, 14% in tubal adenocarcinoma and 6% in ovarian adenocarcinoma. These positive rates and case numbers at our institute indicated the percentage of suspicious diseases to be 38% for cervical aaenocarcinoma/adenosquamous carcinoma, 53% for endometrial adenocarcinoma, 1% for tubal adenocarcinoma and 8% for ovarian adenocarcinoma.


CONCLUSIONS
When a cytologic specimen suggested the existence of adenocarcinoma, the most probable disease was endometrial adenocarcinoma, and the second was cervical adenocarcinoma/adenosquamous carcinoma. Adnexal malignancies were responsible in 9% of cases. In the case of positive cervical cytology suggesting adenocarcinoma, the ratio of suspicious diseases is as valuable as the cytologic findings for the differential diagnosis.
Sasagawa
Motoi
M
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Niigata Cancer Center Hospital, 2-15-3 Kawagishi-Cho, Niigata, Niigata, 951-8566, Japan.
Nishino
Koji
K
Honma
Shigeru
S
Kodama
Shoji
S
Takahashi
Takeshi
T
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology*; D018196:Carcinoma, Adenosquamous / Q000473:pathology*; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D005185:Fallopian Tube Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D014626:Vaginal Smears