Papillary squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix in Uganda: a report of 20 cases.
BACKGROUND
Non-glandular papillary carcinoma of the cervix are uncommon tumours. In Uganda where cervical carcinoma is very common, no cases of papillary squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix has been reported.


OBJECTIVE
To ascertain the occurrence and describe the clinicopathological features of papillary squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix in Uganda.


METHODS
Retrospective review of histologically diagnosed cases of squamous cell carcinoma of cervix with papillary structures.


METHODS
Retrospective review of cases of cervical carcinoma diagnosed in the Pathology Department, Makerere University from 1968 to 1973 was done. Cases with features of squamous differentiation and forming papillary pattern were then selected.


RESULTS
Twenty cases were encountered and the ages of the patients ranged from 22 to 70 years (mean 46.6 years). Histologically, the tumours had thin to broad fibrovascular cores covered by multilayered squamous epithelium. In five cases, there were areas with very delicate fibrovascular cores covered by monolayered epithelial cells.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study show that in Uganda, papillary squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix does occur and is predominantly a disease of older women. The results also confirm that papillary squamous cell carcinoma is a distinct subtype with some variants, and support the hypothesis that squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix is heterogeneous group of tumuors.
Odida
Michael
M
Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. modida@med.mak.ac.ug
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*