Cervix
Other epithelial tumors
Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma
Author: Carlos Parra-Herran, M.D.
Last author update: 1 May 2017
Last staff update: 18 February 2021
Copyright: 2003-2024, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma [title] cervix
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Case reports | Gross description | Microscopic (histologic) description | Microscopic (histologic) images | Cytology description | Positive stains | Negative stains | Molecular / cytogenetics description | Differential diagnosis | Additional referencesCite this page: Parra-Herran C. Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/cervixlymphoepithelioma.html. Accessed April 20th, 2024.
Definition / general
- Resembles nasopharyngeal counterpart
- Usually younger patients than squamous cell carcinoma of cervix
- In the nasopharynx, lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma is associated with Epstein Barr virus (EBV) infection
- Such association in the cervix appears to be less clear: usually EBV+ in Asian patients (Cancer 1997;80:91); EBV- in non Asian patients (Arch Pathol Lab Med 2002;126:1501)
- EBV is not directly involved in squamous cell malignant transformation but may have an effect by infecting the inflammatory component
- An association with HPV infection has also been postulated
- Tends to be low stage at diagnosis; better outcome compared to conventional squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix (Int J Gynecol Pathol 2009;28:279, Cancer 1997;80:91)
Case reports
- 21 year old black woman, EBV- (Am J Clin Pathol 1993;99:195)
- 32 year old woman with ectopic production and localization of beta hCG (Int J Gynecol Pathol 2000;19:179)
- 44 year old white woman in Netherlands, EBV- but HPV+ (Gynecol Oncol 2005;97:716)
- Two EBV- but HPV+ cases (Hum Pathol 2001;32:135)
Gross description
- Usually exophytic
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Tumor is usually moderately to poorly differentiated and nonkeratinizing
- Cells are usually loose or arranged in small clusters, have variable amounts of eosinophilic cytoplasm and marked nuclear atypia
- Syncytium of large tumor cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm, vesicular nuclei, prominent nucleoli
- Prominent lymphoplasmacytic infiltration predominantly composed of T lymphocytes; the inflammatory component can be very dense and obscure the squamous cell component, in which case cytokeratin stains may be needed
- Pushing margins
Microscopic (histologic) images
Images hosted on other servers:
Vagina: well circumscribed tumor
Cytology description
- Uniform large tumor cells, indistinct cell borders, finely granular scant cytoplasm, round / oval nuclei and prominent nucleoli, marginated chromatin
- No koilocytes, no gland formation, no keratinization (Acta Cytol 1999;43:285)
Molecular / cytogenetics description
- May have EBV false positives due to EBV+ lymphocytes (Neoplasma 2003;50:8, Int J Gynecol Pathol 2009;28:279)
Differential diagnosis
- Glassy cell carcinoma with lymphocytic infiltrate
- Poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma
Additional references
