Background: The presence of psammoma bodies on cervicovaginal smears is a rare finding. These structures have usually been associated with malignant tumors, particularly ovarian carcinoma. However, a review of the literature reveals that up to 50% of these patients will have psammoma bodies in association with benign conditions; thus, this finding does not always correlate with the presence of a malignant tumor.
Case: An asymptomatic, nulliparous woman had psammoma bodies on a cervicovaginal smear. Evaluation, including cervical conization, endometrial sampling, laparoscopy with pelvic washings and ovarian biopsy, revealed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 1, endosalpingiosis and numerous psammoma bodies in all specimens except from the cervix. Follow-up examinations at three and six months were negative.
Conclusion: The finding of psammoma bodies in a Pap smear is not always associated with the presence of a pelvic malignancy.