Carcinoid of the uterine cervix: a case report with light and electron microscopic studies

The case of a 33-year-old woman with primary carcinoid of the uterine cervix is reported. Primary carcinoid tumor is well known to occur in organs such as the gastrointestinal tract, lung and gonads. However, its occurrence in the uterine cervix is rare. To our knowledge, primary carcinoid of the uterine cervix has not been reported from the United States, although it has been well documented by non-American authors. Light microscopically, the tumor was characterized by formation of solid nests, trabeculae and glands. The cells therein showed argyrophil granules but were negative for argentaffin reaction. Electron microscopy revealed the presence of numerous neurosecretory granules and microfilaments. On the basis of light microscopic ultrastructural and cytochemical properties, the tumor is believed to arise from the normal argyrophil cell of the cervix and is regarded as an endocrine tumor, a member of the group of neoplasms called apudomas.