Cytopathological observations in a 27-year-old female patient with endometrioid adenocarcinoma arising in the lower uterine segment of the uterus

Abstract

The determination of the malignancy of an endometrioid adenocarcinoma arising in the lower uterine segment (LUS) is difficult because of the high degree of differentiation of adenocarcinoma. The cytopathological and immunohistochemical features of endometrioid adenocarcinoma arising in the LUS of a young adult female are presented. The preoperative cytopathological examination of a 27-yr-old female could not enable an accurate diagnosis of malignancy. Hysterectomy specimens revealed the presence of an endometrioid-type adenocarcinoma with minimal atypia and myometrial invasion, which was located in the LUS. This tumor was consistent with a histological diagnosis of endometrioid minimal-deviation adenocarcinoma (MDA). Immunohistochemically, the tumor's glands were p53-, proliferating cell nuclear antigen-, and carcinoembryonic antigen-positive, and estrogen receptor-, progesterone receptor-,and vimentin-negative. The cytological and surgical specimens showed a remarkable association of squamous metaplasia. Although cytopathological difficulties in determining malignancy of MDA endometrioid adenocarcinoma arising in the LUS are well-known, the following features worth noting include: 1) squamous metaplasia on cytological and histological slides; 2) epithelial cells incorporating polymorphic nuclear neutrophils on cytological slides; and 3) positive immunohistochemistry of p53 protein. Diagn. Cytopathol. 1999;21:117-121.