Liquid-Based Pap Smear Findings of Uterine Cervical Lymphoma: Three Cases Report

ABSTRACT

Malignant lymphoma of the uterine cervix is rarely diagnosed by cytology because it presents as a subepithelial mass. We report three cases of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in the uterine cervix with a description of liquid-based pap smear (LBP) findings. All patients were presented with cervical masses, but a suspicion of malignant lymphoma was made in only one case by preoperative LBP. The LBP of two cases showed several atypical lymphoid cells in a clear background. The other case revealed numerous atypical lymphoid cells in a necrotic background. Most tumor cells had an increased N/C ratio, round but focally irregular nuclei, coarse chromatin, and prominent nucleoli. Nuclear blebing, dimpling, and multi-lobulation were also found. Diagnosis of malignant lymphoma by LBP is usually more difficult than by conventional techniques, because of a sparse numbers of cells and the lack of necrotic background. However, well preserved morphological features and a better resolution of nuclear details could be the benefits of LBP.