Vaginal Epithelial Pathology: A Review with Emphasis on Recent Developments

Primary vaginal carcinoma is rare and far less common than vaginal metastases, which usually originate from neighboring organs. Primary carcinomas are predominantly squamous in type and human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated while primary adenocarcinomas are mostly HPV-independent; as glands are normally absent in the vagina, a congenital or acquired glandular precursor lesion is a prerequisite for their development, although this is not always identified. A variety of rare benign squamous and glandular lesions may also occur at this site. In this article the spectrum of vaginal squamous and glandular neoplasia, precursor and rare non-neoplastic lesions is discussed, with emphasis on recent developments.