Basement membrane material and tigroid background in a fine needle aspirate of clear cell adenocarcinoma of the cervix - A case report

BACKGROUND: Although cytologic findings of clear cell adenocarcinoma of the female genital tract have been reported sporadically, the background on th e smear has received little attention. CASE: A 16-year-old female had a large, necrotic mass in the cervix. As cer vical brushing cytology and a punch biopsy of the mass could not make a def initive diagnosis, fine needle aspiration cytology was performed from the m ass. The smears revealed loose, three-dimensional clusters and sheet arrang ements ts of typical cells. Dispersed atypical cells were also seen. The at ypical cells were large and had abundant, weakly stained cytoplasm and roun d or oval nuclei with large nucleoli. There were a few tumor cells with cle ar cytoplasm and distinct cell borders in Papanicolaou-stained smears. The background in Diff-Quik-stained smears revealed a tigroid background and ba sement membrane material. CONCLUSION: The malignant tumor, revealing both a tigroid background and ba sement membrane material, seems to have been clear cell adenocarcinoma. Bot h features are diagnostic clues to clear cell adenocarcinoma ill the female genital tract. Our case indicates that aspiration cytology is also all eff ective method of diagnosing a cervical tumor when the tumor is polypoid and the surface is extensively necrotic.