Cervical Adenoid Basal Carcinoma: A Case Report

Adenoid basal carcinoma (ABC) is a rare epithelial tumor of the cervix. It makes up approximately 1% of all cervical adenocarcinomas. Rare cases have been associated with common cervical epithelial tumors. We present a case of ABC associated with typical squamous cell carcinoma. A 54-year-old post-menopausal woman underwent D&C for vaginal bleeding. Histologically, the tumor was characterized by small cells with a narrow cytoplasm, making up islands and cords. Peripheral palissading in the cells surrounding the cystic areas that contained central cellular debris and keratin was noted. The patient underwent total hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, pelvic lymphadenectomy and omentectomy. Large cell keratinized type squamous cell carcinoma areas in the cervix were noted besides the limited ABC areas. After surgery, the patient was treated with radiation therapy. A retroperitoneal metastasis was found on the first year and chemotherapy was administered. The patient has no evidence of disease 27 months after the first diagnosis. ABC makes up quite a rare group of cervical cancers and should be kept in mind during the evaluation so that a differentiation can be made with tumors with similar morphology as it can show various histological patterns, and can be seen together with more aggressive cancers.