Cervical carcinoma demonstrating tumor-associated tissue eosinophilia: a clinicopathological study of 17 patients

Our objective in this study was to evaluate the clinicopathological significance of tissue eosinophilia associated with invasive cervical carcinomas.

All cases of cervical carcinoma treated at the Medical College of Georgia between October 1982 and October 1989 were reviewed. We obtained data regarding all cases, including age at diagnosis, stage of disease, therapy, and outcome. Pathological review of all cases was undertaken to identify those patients in whom invasive carcinoma was associated with an intense infiltrate of eosinophils.

A total of 441 patients with invasive cervical carcinomas were treated at the Medical College of Georgia between October 1982 and October 1989. Of these patients, 403 had squamous carcinomas, 34 had adenocarcinomas, 4 had adenosquamous carcinomas, and 18 demonstrated tumorassociated tissue eosinophilia (TATE). In all cases TATE was associated with squamous cell carcinomas. Patients in whom TATE was identified were younger (range, 20-67 years; mean, 40.2 years) than were those patients without TATE (range, 17.5-93.5; mean, 54.8 years; p = .0004; t = 3.626, with 233 degrees of freedom) No significant difference was noted with regard to size of tumor, stage at diagnosis, outcome, or length of survival.

Although it is an interesting and unusual finding when identified in relationship to cervical carcinoma, TATE is of no prognostic significance.