Objective: Vaginal vault recurrences of genital tract malignancy are not un
common, and may be the first sign of recurrent disease. This paper reviews
the experience at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. Methods: The tumor
lists from 1993 to 1996 of the Division of Ob/Gyn Pathology at Columbia Pre
sbyterian Medical Center were reviewed, and correlated with retrospective c
hart review. Results: Of 36 cases, 13 were from uterine primaries, seven we
re cervical in origin, eight were ovarian primaries, and in eight cases, th
e exact primary was not known at the time of biopsy. For the cases where th
e primary diagnosis and disease free interval were known, the time interval
from hysterectomy to vault recurrence ranged from 1.5 months to 84 months,
with a mean of 25.6 months. Conclusion: Vaginal vault recurrences are ofte
n the site of recurrent female genital tract malignancies. Patients treated
for gynecological cancer must have regular pelvic examinations including c
ytologic examination as part of their oncologic surveillance. (C) 1999 Inte
rnational Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.