Primary small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the vagina. Marked effect of combination chemotherapy: a case report.

Primary small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the vagina is extremely rare and very aggressive. Nineteen patients with this cancer have been reported in the English-language literature to date. We report a 51-year-old woman with this cancer. Punch biopsy specimens of the vaginal tumor were studied. Electron microscopy demonstrated neuroendocrine granules in the cytoplasm. Tumor cells were strongly stained for cytokeratin, neuron-specific enolase, chromogranin A and serotonin. These findings were consistent with small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. The patient was treated with combination chemotherapy. The cancer mass completely disappeared after five cycles of the therapy. The patient is still alive without metastasis 41 months after diagnosis. This is the first report of such a remarkable effect of combination chemotherapy on small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the vagina. Copyright 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel