[Tubulosquamous vaginal polyp. Case report with respect to histogenesis]

Tubulosquamous vaginal polyp is a rare form of lesion. It is thought to derive from displaced paraurethral Skene's gland which is the female equivalent of the prostate gland in men. We report on a case of tubulosquamous vaginal polyp in a 77-year-old female patient. Histological examination showed prominent epithelial nests in a spindle cell-rich stroma. The nests were predominantly squamous in type with small tubules at the periphery of the island. Using immunohistochemistry the tubules were found to be positive for CK7, prostate-specific acidic phosphatase (PAP) and androgen receptor (AR) but negative for CK 5/6 and prostate-specific antigen (PSA). The solid parts were positive for CK5/6 and most interestingly, also expressed AR but not CK7, PAP or PSA. The stroma also showed strong staining for AR but not for the other markers applied. To our knowledge this is the first report on AR expression in this benign polyp. Our findings confirm the view that tubulosquamous polyp of the vagina is derived from paraurethral Skene's gland.