Cytologic findings in microglandular hyperplasia of the cervix

A case of florid microglandular hyperplasia of the uterine cervix that contained cells with severe atypia suggesting malignancy on a Papanicolaou smear is reviewed. Findings from 25 additional smears from patients with microglandular hyperplasia are reported. These sometimes contained glandular cells with varying degrees of atypia, but demonstrated no features specific for microglandular hyperplasia. The distinction between markedly atypical endocervical cells sometimes exfoliated from microglandular hyperplasia and those of adenocarcinoma is discussed.