Infertility Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Infertility, including details on male and female infertility, treatment, causes, pregnancy.

Arias-Stella reaction in a cervicovaginal smear of a woman undergoing infertility treatment: a case report.

Lui M, Boerner S

Department of Pathology, University Health Network, Department of Pathobiology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Arias-Stella reaction commonly is seen in gestational endometrium, but rarely is described outside the endometrium, particularly in nonpregnant women. Although the cytological diagnoses of Arias-Stella reaction by cervical Papanicolaou (Pap) smears in pregnant, postpartum, and postabortal women are documented, to our knowledge, this is the first report of Arias-Stella reaction in a cervicovaginal smear of a nonpregnant woman undergoing infertility treatment with clomiphene and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-HCG). The cytological features observed in this case were characteristic of Arias-Stella reaction but mimic malignancy leading to initial misinterpretation. It is of paramount importance to recognize this phenomenon in cervical Pap smears, especially in women receiving ovulation-inducing agents and exogenous hormonal treatment to avoid this potential cytological pitfall.

Published 12 January 2005 in Diagn Cytopathol, 32(2): 94-6.
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