Isolated para-aortic node involvement in stage IB/II cervical carcinoma

The aim of this report was to describe exceptional cases of patients treated for stage Ib and II cervical carcinoma with isolated para-aortic node involvement and to deduce therapeutic implications. Between 1985 and 1998, 491 women with stage IB or II cervical carcinoma underwent radical hysterectomy with systematic pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy. Five patients had para-aortic metastatic nodes but no external iliac, obturator or common iliac node involvement. These five patients had a tumor size > 3 cm. According to these cases, in patients with bulky cervical carcinoma systematic complete lymphadenectomy should be performed in order to avoid misdiagnosis of para-aortic node involvement.