Papillary squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix: a clinicopathologic study of nine cases

Papillary squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC) of the uterine cervix is an infrequently described subtype of cervical malignancy. Nine cases of PSCC encountered at the University of Virginia Medical Center are reviewed. The clinical course of these patients, including a propensity for late metastases and recurrences, appears distinctive. The papillae of PSCC are lined by dysplastic cells, unlike verrucous carcinoma. PSCC may exist in an in situ state, and demonstration of invasion, when present, requires deep biopsies or cervical conization. Therapy for PSCC appears to be the same as for ordinary squamous cell carcinoma of equivalent clinical stage.