Cervical and vaginal cytologic smears suggestive of adenocarcinoma

To determine the appropriate evaluation of women with cervical cytologic smears suggestive of adenocareinoma.

Of 1,192,972 smears obtained between July 1989 and March 1992, 57 (0.005%) were interpreted as adenocarcinoma, adenocarcinoma in situ or "rule out" adenocarcinoma. Review of medical records allowed the determination of pathologic diagnoses in 46 of 57 women. Thirty of the 46 cytologic smears were reviewed.

Fifteen of the 46 women were premenopausal and < 50 years of age. Twenty-three were asymptomatic, 22 had abnormal vaginal bleeding, and 1 had increasing abdominal girth. Twenty-nine (63%) of the 46 women had cancer, 12 (26%) had cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2 (CIN 2) or 3, and 5 (11%) had CIN 1, condyloma or no pathology. Of the 29 women with cancer, 11 had cervical cancer, 1 had vaginal cancer, 13 had uterine cancer, and 4 had extrauterine cancer. Nineteen of 22 women (86%) with abnormal vaginal bleeding had cancer; 9 of 23 asymptomatic women had cancer (39%) (chi 2 = 9.84, P < .01).

Women with smears suggestive of adenocarcinoma require biopsy of cervical or vaginal masses, colposcopy with directed biopsy, endocervical curettage and endometrial biopsy. If cancer is not diagnosed, cervical conization with dilatation and curettage (D&C) is indicated. If conization with D&C is negative, laparoscopy is indicated to exclude extrauterine cancer.