Large cell neuroendocrine tumor of the cervix and human papillomavirus 16: a case report

Large cell neuroendocrine cancer of the cervix is a rare entity. Most cervical cancers are high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV)-related neoplasms.

A 31-year-old woman presented with pelvic pain and daily vaginal bleeding for 6 months. Uterine curettage revealed an undifferentiated malignancy. A total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, pelvic, common iliac, and periaortic lymphadenectomy and peritoneal cytology were performed. The pathological findings revealed a poorly differentiated large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix with metastasis to 1 right obturator lymph node. Nonisotopic in situ hybridization stains were positive for high-risk HPV in the cervical tumor and in the lymph node metastasis in virtually every tumor cell indicative of viral integration into the host genome. Specific HPV typing by polymerase chain reaction was positive for HPV-16.

Integration of high-risk HPV, in particular type 16, is associated with this uncommon variant of cervical carcinoma.