title: Twelve cases of neuroendocrine carcinomas of the uterine cervix: cytology, histopathology and discussion of their histogenesis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) of the uterine cervix is a highly aggressive type of tumor. Therefore, recognition of its cytology and histopathology is important for early diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report 6 cases of small-cell and 6 cases of large-cell NEC of the uterine cervix, including 5 cytology slides. AE1/3, CEA, p63, p16, CD56, chromogranin and synaptophysin were detected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two cytology slides of small-cell NEC showed sheet-like clusters. The tumor cells were uniformly small, with finely granular chromatin, scant cytoplasm and absent nucleoli. Three large-cell NEC smears showed palisading, molding and abortive rosettes with prominent eosinophilic nucleoli. The tumor cells had either abundant cytoplasm or no cytoplasm at all. The histopathology analysis indicated a transition from dysplasia glands or adenocarcinoma in situ glands to NEC in 6 cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cervical cytology of NEC has many unique characteristics, distinct from the characteristics of other lesions. We also demonstrated a hypothesis of the histogenesis of some NECs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Shuxia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Huiting
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*