Uterine cervical lymphoepithelial-like carcinoma. Absence of Epstein-Barr virus genomes

A poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix with marked lymphoplasmacytic stromal infiltration is described in a 21-year-old black woman who had postcoital bleeding. Histologic features were strikingly similar to the classic lymphoepithelioma of the nasopharynx. Serologic evidence for remote Epstein-Barr virus infection was present. However, polymerase chain reaction amplification and hybridization of DNA extracted from fresh-frozen tumor tissue failed to identify Epstein-Barr virus genomic DNA. No human papillomavirus DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction amplification. The histologic and Epstein-Barr virus results of the uterine cervical lymphoepitheliomal-like carcinoma were compared to the classic nasopharyngeal lymphoepithelioma and to similar tumors studied from other anatomic sites.