Clinicopathological, ultrastructural and immunohistochemical study on adenoma malignum of the uterine cervix

A histological, cytological, immunohistochemical and electron microscopical study has been made on 9 cases of adenoma malignum of the cervix. Five patients out of 9 who received surgical treatment following correct diagnosis, and were followed by maintenance chemotherapy with tegafur have survived without evidence of recurrence for 15 to 60 months. The remaining 4 patients who were treated following incorrect diagnosis have died of the disease. Adenoma malignum is a potentially malignant tumor histologically characterized by adenomatous proliferation with structural abnormality in the shape and arrangement of the gland and budding invasive pattern into the stroma. The gland filled with mucous substance often ballooned and ruptured resulting in the leakage of mucous substance into the surrounding stromal tissue. Light and electron microscopical observation of the epithelial cells revealed that they were quite different from those of conventional adenocarcinoma. Excessive mucus-producing activity and variation in nuclear DNA content can lead to possible differential cytodiagnosis between tumorous and normal columnar cells. The finding of positive CEA in the cytoplasm of the tumor cell obtained in the immunohistochemical study led to further study to detect CEA in the cervical mucus in screening for this rare tumor.