Primary B-cell lymphoma and lymphoma-like lesions of the uterine cervix

Abstract

We present three patients with atypical lymphoid cells on cervical smear screening, with diffuse large-cell B-cell lymphoma diagnosed by morphology on cervical biopsy. One patient with extensive pelvic disease was treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy and remained in remission 8 years later. Two patients with presumed stage 1E lesions showed spontaneous regression on repeat cervical biopsy, despite light chain restriction and clonal immunoglobulin gene rearrangement. They are without recurrent malignancy 1 and 5 years after their initial diagnosis. The presence of malignant looking lymphoid cells on cervical smear should be investigated by repeated colposcopic biopsies. The reason for the highly skewed atypical B-cell lymphoproliferation in lymphoma-like lesions of the cervix is unknown. With early stage, nonbulky cervical lymphoma in an otherwise healthy patient, a cone biopsy is advised. A number of these lesions may regress even when clonal populations are detected. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.