A Novel Ciliated, Mucin-producing Variant of HPV-related Cervical Adenosquamous Carcinoma In Situ: A Case Report

Int J Gynecol Pathol. 2021 Jul 1;40(4):413-418. doi: 10.1097/PGP.0000000000000714.

Abstract

Uterine cervical adenosquamous carcinoma in situ was originally defined as having either a uniform population of cells with features intermediate in appearance between glandular and squamous cells, or a mixture of distinct glandular and squamous components within a single lesion. The former type would likely be reclassified today as stratified mucin-producing intraepithelial lesion, while the latter type is vanishingly rare. Here, we report a novel case of bona fide adenosquamous carcinoma in situ, which exhibits 2 morphologically and immunophenotypically distinct components: (1) an inner glandular component composed of a single layer of p40-negative, ciliated, mucin-producing dysplastic columnar cells and (2) an outer p40-positive, stratified dysplastic squamous component otherwise identical to cervical intraepithelial neoplasia-3. Both components show block-positive staining for p16 and are positive for high-risk human papillomavirus RNA by in situ hybridization. Our finding expands the histological spectrum of human papillomavirus-associated preinvasive cervical lesions while also providing further evidence that human papillomavirus-driven processes can exhibit ciliated morphology.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Carcinoma, Adenosquamous / diagnosis*
  • Carcinoma, Adenosquamous / pathology
  • Cilia / pathology
  • Female
  • Genetic Variation
  • Goblet Cells / pathology
  • Humans
  • In Situ Hybridization
  • Mucins / metabolism
  • Papillomaviridae / genetics
  • Papillomaviridae / pathogenicity*
  • Papillomavirus Infections / diagnosis*
  • Papillomavirus Infections / pathology
  • Papillomavirus Infections / virology
  • Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / diagnosis*
  • Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / pathology
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / pathology

Substances

  • Mucins