vulval and vaginal pathology Flashcards
describe features of a normal ectocervix?
- epithelium sitting on a basement membrane and is underpinned by stroma
layers from bottom to top
1. basement membrane
2. basal cells (purple layer)
3. parabasal cells
4. exfoliating cells - these cells are captured during a cervical smear
what cells are captured during a cervical smear?
- exfoliating cells - squamous cells
what lines a normal ectocervix?
- stratified squamous epithelium
what lines a nomal endocervix?
- a single layer of glandular epithelium
what is the most common site to become infected by HPV?
- transformation zone
-> go on to become CIN or glandular equivalent CGIN
what is another word for transformation zone?
- squamo-columnar junction
what are the 2 main pathologies of the cervix?
- inflammatory
- neoplastic
what are some examples of inflammatory pathologies in the cervix?
- cervicitis -
- cervical polyp
what are some examples of neoplastic pathologies in the cervix?
- cervical intraepithelial neoplasia
- cervical cancer - squamous carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, other rare tumours
what are the risk factors for CIN/cervical cancer?
- high risk HPV - 16,18, 31, 33, 35, 45, 48
- many sexual partners
- vulnerability of SC junction in early repro life - age at first intercourse, long term use of oral contraceptives, non-use of barrier contraception
- smoking 3x risk
- immunosuppression -> can’t clear virus
what are 2 types of low risk HPV?
- 6 and 11
- can cause genital warts
what is condyloma acuminatum?
- name given to anogenital warts caused by HPV 6 and 11
- thickened ‘papillomatous’ squamous epithelium w cytoplasmic vacuolation ‘koilocytosis’ (shrunken nuclei)
- caused by HPV
what do you see in cytology of a genital wart type presentation w HPV infection
- mild dyskaryosis
- multinucleation common characteristic in cells affected by HPV infection
- nuclear enlargement
- course chromatin in nuclei
what are koilocytes
- halo cells
- type of epithelial cell that devleops following a HPV infection
- irregular shaped nuclei, shape or colour
what does CIN: caused by HPV 16 and 18 show on microscopy?
- infected epithelium remains flat but may show koilocytosis, which can be detected in cervical smears
HPV can cause what?
- genital warts: low risk HPV 6 and 11
- cervical intraepithelial neoplasia: high risk HPV 16 and 18
- cervical cancer
what do you see on microscopy of a cervical cancer caused by HPV infection?
- invasive squamous carcinoma: virus integrated into host DNA
- whirls of keratin within tumour
- squamous cell carcinoma - islands of cells within stroma broken free from BM
what is time line for a HPV infection to become a high grade CIN?
- 6 months -> 3 years
what is the time line for a high grade CIN -> invasive cancer?
- 5 years -> 20 years
what is cumulative prevalence of HPV infection in lifetime?
- 80% cumulative prevalence in lifetime
- most develop immunity…
where does CIN most often occur?
- transformation zone
- pre-invasive stage of cervical cancer
what is CIN?
- dysplasia of squamous cells
- not visible by naked eye but you can get a feel for it on colposcopy
- detectable on cervical screening
- asymptomatic
histology of CIN?
- delay in maturation
immature basal cells occupying more of epithelium or more nuclei in top layers of epithelium - nuclear abnormalities
hyperchromasia (dark)
inc in nucleocytoplasmic ratio
pleomorphism (variable looking cells) - excess mitotic activity
situated above basal layers
abnormal mitotic forms
often koilocytosis (indicating HPV infection)
how is CIN graded?
I-III depending on severity on factors including:
delay in maturation
nuclear abnormalities
excess mitotic activity
define CIN I?
basal 1/3 of epithelium occupied by abnormal cells