Neuroendocrine Small Cell Carcinoma of the Uterine Cervix Showing Polypoid Growth and Complicated by Pregnancy

Background: Neuroendocrine small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix is an aggressive disease, and it rarely is complicated by pregnancy.

Case: A polypoid tumor was found in the uterine cervix in a 27-year-old Japanese woman at 27 weeks of gestation. No polyp had been detected at 14 weeks of gestation. The polyp was excised and diagnosed as neuroendocrine small cell carcinoma by histological examination, including Grimelius, neuron-specific enolase, and chromogranin staining. A healthy infant was born by cesarean section at 29 weeks of gestation: this was followed by radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy. After surgery, four cycles of combination chemotherapy with cisplatin and etoposide were administered, and the patient is disease-free as of 13 months after surgery.

Conclusion: When a polypoid lesion is found, especially when it demonstrates rapid growth, it may be necessary to excise and histologically examine the polyp even during pregnancy.