Squamous carcinoma of the cervix complicating pregnancy: recurrence in episiotomy after vaginal delivery.

A patient developed recurrence of squamous carcinoma of the cervix in the episiotomy scar after vaginal delivery through the involved cervix. At the time of her radical hysterectomy, all margins and nodes were free of tumor, suggesting implantation at delivery as the etiology of the recurrence. Review of the literature revealed three other cases of episiotomy recurrence. All cases were either clinically unsuspected or had negative Papanicolaou tests during pregnancy. Careful surveillance and early therapy appear to give a more favorable prognosis for this unusual type of recurrence.