Term delivery following conservative treatment for villoglandular papillary adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix: report of a case and analysis of the literature

BACKGROUND: Villoglandularpapillary adenocarcinoma (VPA) of the cervix is often indolent, and surgical treatment has a favorable outlook. Risk factors include depth of invasion, lymphovascular invasion, and the presence of other histologic types of cancer. CASE: An amputation of the cervical portio was required to satisfactorily resect a 2.5-cm ectocervical lesion in a 28-year-old nulligravida. A diagnosis of pure VPA with a depth of invasion less than 2 mm was established. During a subsequent pregnancy, second trimester ultrasound showed extreme effacement of her cervix and an abdominal cerclage was placed. The pregnancy continued until delivery of a healthy infant at 36 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: In cases of tumor invasion less than 3 mm, and in the absence of lymphovascular space involvement, extrauterine spread of pure VPA has not been described. When conservative treatment is planned, amputation of the cervical portio may be better suited than conization to the achievement of an adequate margin of resection. Cervical cerclage may be needed to offset the extensive cervical surgery.