Müllerian clear cell carcinofibroma of the uterine corpus

A practical approach to the diagnosis of mixed epithelial and mesenchymal tumours of the uterus

The current 2014 World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of mixed epithelial and mesenchymal tumours of the uterus includes categories of carcinosarcoma, adenosarcoma, adenofibroma, adenomyoma and atypical polypoid adenomyoma, the last two lesions being composed of an admixture of benign epithelial and mesenchymal elements with a prominent smooth muscle component. In this review, each of these categories of uterine neoplasm is covered with an emphasis on practical tips for the surgical pathologist and new developments. In particular, helpful clues in the distinction between carcinosarcoma and dedifferentiated endometrial carcinoma will be discussed. In addition, salient features to help distinguish between adenofibroma, adenosarcoma, embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma and other mesenchymal neoplasms in the differential diagnosis will be outlined. Finally, a discussion of adenomyoma and its main differential diagnostic considerations will be covered.

Pathology of uterine malignancies

This overview covers epithelial, stromal and mesenchymal malignancies of the body of the uterus, excluding the cervix. The distinction of type I and type II endometrial adenocarcinoma with the morphological variants of this tumour is discussed and some molecular aspects are explored. The concept of carcinosarcoma representing a metaplastic adenocarcinoma of the endometrium that behaves more like a carcinoma than a sarcoma is explained. Some types of mixed epithelial and stromal neoplasm are described and contrasted with carcinosarcoma. The concept of stromal sarcoma and high-grade uterine sarcoma is described and an outline of malignant smooth muscle tumours of the uterus includes a description of smooth muscle tumours of uncertain malignant potential and worrying benign smooth muscle lesions.

Non-endometrioid carcinomas of the uterine corpus: a review of their pathology with emphasis on recent advances and problematic aspects

This review considers the clinical and pathologic features of the various histologic subtypes of endometrial carcinoma excluding those of pure endometrioid type, as the latter tumors were the subject of a previous contribution in the Journal (Vol. 9, No. 2). Non-endometrioid carcinomas, which account for about 10% of endometrial carcinomas, may pose a great array of problems in differential diagnosis, including their distinction not only from benign lesions but also endometrioid carcinoma and various tumors that may secondarily involve the uterine corpus. The most common subtypes are serous, mucinous, and undifferentiated. Rarer tumors are clear cell, squamous, transitional cell carcinomas, and a variety of poorly differentiated carcinomas with unusual forms of differentiation, such as hepatoid carcinoma, carcinomas with trophoblastic elements, and giant cell carcinoma. Mixed carcinomas, which are common, are also discussed, including those with a component of endometrioid carcinoma. The final section deals with endometrial involvement by metastatic tumors, lesions that, albeit rare, are sometimes neglected in the differential diagnosis of endometrial carcinomas. Important aspects emphasized are: (1) The potential for serous carcinoma to be mimicked by various forms of papillary endometrioid carcinoma. (2) The rarity of clear cell carcinoma and the greater frequency of clear cells in endometrioid carcinoma. (3) The frequency of mucinous epithelium in tumors of mixed cell type. (4) The frequency with which neoplastic mucinous epithelium originates from the endometrium. (5) The striking degree of differentiation of some squamous cell carcinomas. (6) The occasional predominance of non-endometrioid carcinomas (especially serous or undifferentiated carcinoma) within malignant mullerian mixed tumors. (7) The spectrum of reactive epithelial changes and other non-neoplastic abnormalities that may mimic serous or clear cell carcinoma.

Serous carcinoma arising in an adenofibroma of the endometrium

A serous carcinoma and endometrial intraepithelial carcinoma were encountered in an endometrial adenofibroma in a 61-year-old woman. The carcinoma involved the myometrium and cervix (stage IIa). To our knowledge, this is the third documented case of an adenocarcinoma and the first serous carcinoma involving a uterine adenofibroma.

Mullerian adenosarcoma of the uterus: a clinicopathologic analysis of 100 cases with a review of the literature

One hundred cases of mullerian adenosarcoma of the uterus were encountered in patients 14 to 89 years of age (median, 58 years), who usually had the symptom of abnormal vaginal bleeding. An enlarged uterus and tissue protruding from the external os were the most common findings on pelvic examination. Five patients presented on multiple occasions with "recurrent polyps" that were interpreted retrospectively as adenosarcomas. Primary treatment, known in 97 cases, included some form of hysterectomy in 93 of them, and conservative resection in four cases. Gross examination of the excised uteri disclosed polypoid masses, some of which had spongy cut surfaces, usually filling the endometrial cavity; less commonly, the tumors were confined to the endocervix or the myometrium or involved more than one site. Histologic examination revealed benign or atypical neoplastic glands within a sarcomatous stroma, which typically formed periglandular cuffs of increased cellularity, intraglandular polypoid projections, or both. The sarcomatous stroma was homologous in 78% of the cases and contained heterologous elements in the remainder. The stromal mitotic rate varied from 1 to 40 mitotic figures (MFs) (mean 9) per 10 high-power fields (HPFs). Extensive areas of stromal fibrosis that focally imparted a deceptively benign appearance to the tumor were common. Myometrial invasion was present in 15 cases, but was deep in only four. Recurrent tumor developed in 23 cases at postoperative intervals of 0.5 to 9.5 years (mean 3.4); in one third of such cases, the interval was 5 years or longer. Recurrent tumor was almost always confined to the vagina, pelvis, or abdomen; hematogenous spread occurred in only two cases. The only feature associated with an increased risk for recurrence was the presence of myometrial invasion. Criteria found useful in separating mullerian adenosarcomas from mullerian adenofibromas included, alone or in combination: two or more stromal MFs per 10 HPFs, marked stromal cellularity, and significant stromal cell atypia.