Cervix
Cytologic features
Small blue cells
Author: Farnaz Hasteh, M.D.
Topic Completed: 1 March 2011
Minor changes: 20 November 2020
Copyright: 2006-2021, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed search: small blue cells cervix
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Microscopic (histologic) description | Differential diagnosisCite this page: Hasteh F. Small blue cells. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/cervixcytologysmallbluecell.html. Accessed March 9th, 2021.
Definition / general
- Associated with tamoxifen therapy (present in 40% of Pap smears of patients with tamoxifen therapy) and atrophy
- Not associated with malignancy
- May represent reserve cells of cervical / vaginal epithelium (Arch Pathol Lab Med 2001; 125:1047)
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Tight clusters of undifferentiated small cells with minimal cytoplasm or naked nuclei, round to oval nuclei, bland chromatin, indistinct nucleoli
Differential diagnosis
- Endometrial cells: irregular nuclear contours, degenerative appearance, coarse chromatin
- Endometrial carcinoma: larger cells, hyperchromatic nuclei with coarse chromatin and distinct nucleoli
- Carcinoid tumor
- Small cell carcinoma
- Adenoid cystic carcinoma
- Adenoid basal carcinoma
- Lobular breast carcinoma: large plasmacytoid cells with irregular nuclear membrane, coarse chromatin, prominent nucleoli
