title: Vulvar Paget's disease--a case report.
abstract: Vulvar Morbus Paget (MP) represents a rare intraepithelial adenocarcinoma. It accounts for less than 1% of all vulvar neoplasia and usually appears in postmenopausal women. Histologically it is analogous to Paget's disease of the breast. The most common clinical symptom is pruritus. The lesion appears as an erythematous or as an eczematous lesion with islands of hyperkeratosis. Occasionally, single anaplastic Paget's cells can be found on the vulvar smears which make cytological diagnosis of the disease possible. However, the disease can be diagnosed only by biopsy. We present a case of 49-year old woman with vulvar symptoms of pruritus, who had liver and kidney transplantation two years ago. During the standard gynecological examination the vulvar smear was taken for cytological evaluation. The smear was scanty, with inflammatory background, overloaded with squamae. There were two types of cells: dysplastic squamous cells from lower layer of the epithelium and the single, anaplastic cells with a high nuclear:cytoplasmic ratio who possessed eccentric, large nucleus. Nucleoli were rare. Cytoplasm varied from pale and delicate to densely basophilic. Accordingly, cytological diagnosis vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN III) with differential diagnosis of vulvar Paget's disease was made. The pathological verification supported the diagnosis of MP and an immunohistochemistry panel confirmed type III of Paget's disease and an evaluation of bladder was suggested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Laboratory for Cytology and Clinical Genetics, 'Merkur" University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia. suzana.simon@kb-merkur.hr
authors.forename: Suzana Katalenić
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Ines Krivak
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Bolanca
authors.forename: Karmela
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sentija
authors.forename: Vlastimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kukura
authors.forename: Josip
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Valetić
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skrtić
mesh_terms: D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053552:Keratin-7 / Q000032:analysis; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008875:Middle Aged; D010145:Paget Disease, Extramammary / Q000473:pathology*; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D014844:Vulva / Q000473:pathology; D014845:Vulvar Diseases / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D053552:Keratin-7