Undenuded invasive cervical carcinomas erroneously treated by cauterization

Two cases of occult invasive carcinoma of the cervix have been reported with emphasis on diagnostic failure and subsequent inappropriate treatments. A prompt replacement with malignant cells simulating dysplasia or carcinoma in situ was observed at the sites of cauterization preoperatively. However, histology of postoperative specimen showed apparent invasiveness in both cases and lymphatic metastases in one of them. These findings have led us to a concept that the present cases may represent a variety of occult carcinomas, which is in between the common and verrucous types of squamous cell carcinomas.