Transvaginal ultrasound evaluation of myometrial invasion in endometrial carcinoma

In 20 cases of histologically proved endometrial cancer the depth of myometrial invasion was ascertained by means of transvaginal ultrasound, using a high-frequency endocavitary probe. The sonographic findings were confirmed by histologic examination in 18 of the 20 patients evaluated (90.0%). Transvaginal ultrasound provides a fuller preoperative clinical picture and supplies additional diagnostic information which is invaluable in the choice of therapeutic approach.     

子宫内膜癌肌层浸润深度的评估

目的　探讨术前B超、术中肉眼观察、术后大体标本测量和血清CA12 5测定 ,对判断子宫内膜癌肌层浸润深度的价值。方法　采用术前B超、术中肉眼观察和术后大体标本测量对 13 3例手术病理分期Ⅰ期子宫内膜癌患者的肌层浸润深度的判断进行评估 ,并分析 91例 (79例为Ⅰ期 ,12例为同期的Ⅱ～Ⅳ期患者 )子宫内膜癌患者血清CA12 5水平与子宫内膜癌的关系。结果　术前B超判断子宫内膜癌肌层浸润和深肌层浸润的敏感性分别为 62 6%和 47 8% ,特异性分别为 67 7%和90 0 % ;术中肉眼观察判断子宫内膜癌肌层浸润和深肌层浸润的敏感性分别为 5 9 6%和 73 9% ,特异性分别为 76 5 %和 94 6% ;术后大体标本测量判断子宫内膜癌肌层浸润和深肌层浸润的敏感性分别为 70 0 %和 94 4% ,特异性分别 92 0 %和 97 7%。子宫内膜癌手术病理分期Ⅰ期患者血清CA12 5水平异常 (≥ 3 5kU/L)的发生率为 8% (6/79) ,Ⅱ～Ⅳ期患者的发生率为 5 8% (7/12 ) ,血清CA12 5水平异常的发生率与手术病理分期的期别有极显著相关性 (P <0 0 0 1) ,而与子宫内膜癌肌层浸润深度无显著相关性 (P >0 0 5 )。结论　术前B超、术中肉眼观察和术后大体标本测量对判断Ⅰ期子宫内膜癌肌层浸润深度有一定帮助 ,其中术后大体标本测量的准确性相对较好。血     

Magnetic resonance imaging determination of myometrial invasion in endometrial carcinoma

Fifteen patients with FIGO stage I biopsy confirmed endometrial adenocarcinoma underwent preoperative pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate the presence and depth of myometrial invasion. Imaging was performed with a Diasonics superconducting imaging system operating at 0.35 T (15 MHz); multislice multi-spin-echo pulse sequences were used exclusively, with 5-mm contiguous sections. All patients then received primary therapy consisting of abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Imaging findings were then compared with the uterine specimen histopathology. MRI was accurate in predicting the presence or absence of invasion in 13 of 15 cases (87%) and was able to discriminate superficial from deep invasion in 9 of 11 cases (82%). Based on our findings, we conclude that MRI appears to be an excellent technique for determining myometrial invasion, and that it may play a significant role in the preoperative planning of a thorough search for lymphatic spread in those patients considered to be at high risk by virtue of myometrial invasion.     

Intraoperative assessment of depth of myometrial invasion in endometrial carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the adequacy of intraoperative assessment of depth of myometrial invasion in patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Of the 58 evaluable cases, depth of myometrial invasion was estimated by gross examination of fresh tissue by an experienced surgeon and a pathologist and on the frozen section by the same pathologist. This was compared with the depth of invasion on the final microscopic examination performed by another pathologist. RESULTS: The depth of invasion was accurately predicted by the surgeon in 89.7% of the patients, while the pathologist's accurate prediction rates on fresh tissue and frozen section were 86.2% and 91.4%, respectively. The accurate prediction rate gradually diminished for both the surgeon and the pathologist as the histologic grade increased. Frozen section examination was reliable in grade I cancer (100%), while gross examination of the surgeon and the pathologist had a significant error rate in predicting accurate depth of invasion (7.6%-33%). CONCLUSION: If frozen section shows that myometrial invasion in patients with grade 1 endometrial carcinoma is less than 1/3, lymphadenectomy may be omitted. In all other cases radical surgery and surgical staging is mandatory to avoid undertreatment.     

经阴道三维超声诊断子宫内膜癌肌层浸润的价值

目的　探讨经阴道三维超声诊断子宫内膜癌肌层浸润的价值。方法　收集 2 0 0 2年1月至 2 0 0 3年 3月经诊刮确诊并首选手术治疗的子宫内膜癌患者 53例 ,术前 1周内行经阴道二维超声 ,并应用三维超声的多平面成像技术和体积测量功能对肌层浸润深度作出评估 ;同时记录其临床病理指标。结果　 (1)患者年龄 3 8～ 77岁 ;肌层浸润深度 :无、浅、深肌层浸润者分别为 4、3 1、18例 ;病理类型 :子宫内膜样腺癌、非子宫内膜样腺癌分别为 43、10例 ;病理分化程度 :高、中、低分化分别为2 8、13、12例 ;手术病理分期 :Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ期分别为 3 3、10、8、2例。 (2 )三维超声的多平面成像技术和二维超声诊断浅肌层浸润的敏感度、特异度、阳性预测值、阴性预测值分别 92 %、10 0 %、10 0 %、67%和 44%、10 0 %、10 0 %、2 1% ,两者分别比较 ,差异均有极显著性 (χ2 =13 2 0 11,P =0 0 0 5) ;三维超声的多平面成像技术和二维超声诊断深肌层浸润的敏感度、特异度、阳性预测值、阴性预测值分别为 72 %、86%、72 %、86%和 75%、84%、67%、89% ,两者分别比较 ,差异均无显著性 (χ2 =0 0 0 0 0 ,P>0 0 5)。(3 )三维超声的体积测量功能测量的浅、深肌层浸润肿瘤的体积分别为 1 12cm3(Q2 5 75 =1 12～ 4 49)和 9 16cm3(     

Difficulties in assessing the depth of myometrial invasion in endometrial carcinoma.

The depth of myometrial invasion (DMI) is one of the most important prognostic indicators and determinants of therapy in endometrial cancer. There are well-documented problems in recognizing DMI. We examined 100 previously diagnosed endometrioid endometrial carcinomas in hysterectomy specimens, reassessed DMI, and explored morphological features that complicated appraisal of myometrial invasion. The DMI was different from the original measurement in 29% of cases. Twelve percent of all cases (40% of cases with measurement discrepancies) involved differences in the assignment of invasion categories (noninvasive, < or =50% myometrial invasion, and >50% myometrial invasion). Nearly all endometrial cancers originally diagnosed as invasive were considered noninvasive on review. We examined whether the distribution of stromal metaplasia, noninvasive patterns (exophytic tumors, irregular endomyometrial junctions, and adenomyosis), and myometrial invasion patterns were different in cases with and without measurement discrepancies. Irregular endomyometrial junctions, exophytic tumors, and adenomyosis tended to coexist and were more common in the cases with DMI discrepancies. Although there seemed to be a relationship between smooth muscle metaplasia and exophytic tumors, it did not appear that smooth muscle metaplasia was significantly more common in cases with measurement difficulties. However, cases with extensive smooth muscle metaplasia posed problems with assessment of myometrial invasion. Patterns of myometrial invasion other than the conventional destructive pattern were sufficiently uncommon as to not impact on DMI measurement in large numbers of cases. Measuring the DMI is usually uncomplicated, but additional scrutiny should be paid to cases involving exophytic tumors, irregular endomyometrial junctions, adenomyosis, and extensive stromal smooth muscle metaplasia.     

Intraoperative evaluation of depth of myometrial invasion in stage I endometrial adenocarcinoma

In patients with stage I endometrial adenocarcinoma, the incidence of pelvic and para-aortic lymph node metastasis is related to the grade of the tumor and the depth of myometrial invasion. Although the grade of the tumor may be predicted preoperatively by endometrial sampling, the depth of myometrial invasion cannot be determined until after the uterus has been removed. Although complications have been attributed to lymph node sampling, failure to perform the procedure in patients at risk for nodal metastasis may result in underdiagnosis of extrauterine disease, leading to inadequate therapy. Gross visual examination of the cut surface of the tumor at the time of hysterectomy accurately determined the depth of myometrial invasion in 135 of 148 prospectively studied patients (91%) (P less than .001). The sensitivity of the test was 0.71, the specificity was 0.96, and the positive predictive value was 0.80. Intraoperative assessment of the depth of myometrial invasion is a simple, inexpensive, and useful technique for selecting those patients with stage I endometrial adenocarcinoma who might benefit from selective para-aortic lymphadenectomy.     

Preoperative assessment of myometrial and cervical invasion in endometrial carcinoma by transvaginal ultrasound

Objective

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) in preoperative assessment of the depth of myometrial infiltration and the presence of cervical invasion in endometrial carcinoma.

Methods

298 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of endometrial cancer were evaluated by TVS within 3 days of surgical intervention. The depth of myometrial invasion was classified into two groups: no or < 50% invasion and ≥ 50% invasion. Invasion of cervix was diagnosed when the neoplastic tissue distended the cervix and showed ill-defined borders with the cervical stroma.

Results

The sensitivity, specifity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and overall diagnostic accuracy of TVS in evaluation of the depth of myometrial infiltration were 68.4%, 82%, 65.1%, 84.1% and 77.5%, respectively. While the sensitivity and PPV were significantly higher among grade 3 tumors, the specifity, NPV and accuracy were significantly higher among grade 1 tumors.The sensitivity, specifity, PPV, NPV, and overall diagnostic accuracy of TVS in assessment of the presence or absence of neoplastic tissue in cervix were 76.5%, 99.3%, 86.7%, 98.2% and 98%, respectively. While the sensitivity and PPV were significantly higher among grade 1 tumors, the NPV and accuracy were significantly lower among grade 3 tumors.

Conclusion

TVS can be considered as a feasible, economical and simple imaging modality with a high diagnostic accuracy for the prediction of cervical involvement. However, it is not a reliable method in estimating the depth of myometrial infiltration.     

Intraoperative frozen section examination of myometrial invasion depth in patients with endometrial carcinoma

The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of frozen sections (FS) as a method for estimation of the depth of myometrial invasion in patients with stage I endometrial carcinoma. During a 3-year period (1989–1992), 46 consecutive patients with FIGO stage I endometrial carcinoma were included in this study. The depth of myometrial invasion was estimated by FS examination performed during surgery. The final histologic findings of the surgical specimen were compared to the FS evaluation. The results of this study demonstrate that deep or superficial myometrial invasions were correctly diagnosed by FS in 42 out of 46 cases (91.3%). Three cases (6.6%) with deep myometrial invasion were falsely diagnosed as superficially invasive. One case with superficial invasion (2.1%) was falsely diagnosed as deeply invasive. In conclusion, intraoperative FS examination of depth of myometrial invasion by endometrial carcinoma is a simple and accurate method, providing a good correlation with the final histologic report of the surgical specimen.     

Value of the intraoperative assessment of the depth of myometrial invasion in endometrial carcinoma

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate the value of intraoperative assessment of depth of myometrial invasion in patients with FIGO stage I of the endometrial carcinoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total number of 112 patients with FIGO stage I of the endometrial carcinoma undergoing surgery were enrolled in the study. All patients had undergone intraoperative assessment of the depth of myometrial invasion performed by a surgeon. The depth was determined as more or less than 50% of myometrial thickness according to FIGO classification. Gross visual estimation of the depth of myometrial invasion at the time of the operation was compared with the final histopathological report. Sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values of the method were determined by means of statistical analyses. RESULTS: The depth of the myometrial invasion was accurately determined by the surgeon in 82.1% of cases. Sensitivity and specificity were 68% and 82.1%, respectively. The accurate prediction rate of the myometrial invasion in the group of patients with well differentiated (G1) endometrial carcinoma was higher (88.4%) than in group with moderately and low differentiated tumour (78.3%). CONCLUSIONS: The accuracy of macroscopic evaluation of myometrial invasion is high and reaches up to 82.1%. The accurate determination rate increases if the differentiation of tumour is higher.     

Accuracy of MR imaging for the prediction of myometrial invasion of endometrial carcinoma

OBJECTIVES: To retrospectively evaluate the accuracy of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for the prediction of depth of myometrial invasion in the preoperative assessment of women with endometrial carcinoma. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and MR imaging reports of 120 women with pathologically-proven endometrial carcinoma who underwent preoperative pelvic MR imaging between June 1997 and February 2006. Tumor signal intensity, the appearance of the junctional zone (JZ), the presence of large polypoid tumors and leiomyomas were analyzed. Univariate logistic-regression analysis was performed to identify associations between incorrect MR staging and the study variables. RESULTS: Data from 120 patients were registered for the current study and analyzed. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the MR imaging in assessment of myometrial invasion among patients with endometrial carcinoma were: 50.6%, 89.2% and 62.5% respectively. MR differentiation of deep myometrial invasion from superficial disease had an 83.3% accuracy (100 of 120 cases). Isointense JZ to myometrium (P<0.001), and the presence of polypoid tumors (P=0.037) on MR imaging were significantly associated with an underestimation of myometrial invasion by endometrial carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: Isointense JZ to myometrium and polypoid tumors are difficult to accurately evaluate for myometrial invasion of endometrial carcinoma by MR imaging.     

Assessment of depth of myometrial invasion in endometrial adenocarcinoma

Depth of myometrial invasion in stage I adenocarcinoma of the endometrium is recognized as a prognostic factor for lymph node metastasis and overall survival. To determine if depth of myometrial invasion estimated by gross examination correlated with final histologic depth of invasion, we retrospectively reviewed all cases of surgical stage I endometrial adenocarcinoma treated at our institution between July 1985 and July 1988. Of the 113 evaluable patients, 63 had grade 1 lesions, 37 grade 2 lesions, and 13 grade 3 lesions. The depth of invasion was accurately determined by gross examination in 55 of 63 (87.3%) grade 1 lesions, 24 of 37 (64.9%) grade 2 lesions, and only 4 of 13 (30.8%) grade 3 lesions. Thus, gross examination of fresh tissue to estimate depth of myometrial invasion in endometrial adenocarcinoma is less reliable as the grade of the tumor increases. Alternative methods, such as frozen section, should be considered when evaluating depth of invasion, especially when this affects intraoperative decisions regarding lymph node sampling.     

MR imaging in endometrial carcinoma as a diagnostic tool for the absence of myometrial invasion

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a reliable modality for verifying preoperative diagnosis of stage IA endometrial carcinoma. METHODS: One hundred sixteen patients with endometrial carcinoma underwent preoperative pelvic non-contrast T2-weighted or dynamic MRI. We compared the interpretations of the MRI results with the histological findings of the resected uterus. RESULTS: In assessing the depth of myometrial invasion, the accuracy of MRI was 62.1%. As to the presence of cancerous myometrial invasion, the positive predictive value was 94.4% as high as previously reported by other institutions. However, the negative predictive value, the probability of the absence of myometrial invasion, was only 42.2%. Even when dynamic study was applied to the patient, the value only improved up to 60.0%. CONCLUSION: MRI has a definite advantage in evaluating deep myometrial invasion, but not the absence of invasion. We should take precautions against the risk of under-diagnosis when selecting stage IA endometrial carcinoma with use of MRI to preserve fertility or to eliminate lymphadenectomy.     

经阴道三维超声诊断子宫内膜癌的探讨

目的探讨经阴道三维超声（3-DTVS）诊断子宫内膜癌及肌层浸润的价值。方法收集2003年4月-2005年4月在我院经手术治疗的子宫内膜癌患者72例。其中，术前64例（3-DTVS组）应用3-DTV多平面和血管成像技术以及体积测量功能诊断子宫内膜癌及肌层浸润深度进行评估；25例（MRI组）经核磁共振（MRI）检查为对照组，以手术后病理结果判断符合率，对比两组诊断子宫内膜癌及其肌层浸润情况。结果经3-DTVS诊断子宫内膜癌的符合率为89．1％，判断肌层浸润的符合率为77．1％。应用3-DTVS与MRI诊断子宫内膜癌及肌层浸润准确率两组间无显著性差异（P〉0．05）。结论3-DTVS在诊断子宫内膜癌及肌层浸润深度有诊断价值。     

Endometrial carcinoma: intraoperative evaluation of myometrial invasion. A prospective study

AIM: The authors investigated the diagnostic value of intraoperative assessment of myometrial invasion in endometrial cancer patients. Following hysterectomy, the uterus was sectioned and macroscopically examined in order to assess the depth of myoinvasion, which was classified as <50% and >50%. In patients with macroscopic depth of invasion>30% and <50%, a frozen section of this area was carried out. The results of intraoperative evaluation were compared with the results of postoperative pathological examination. The agreement between methods was developed as generalized Kappa type statistic. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values for intraoperative only macro and macro/micro evaluation were calculated. METHODS: Seventy eight consecutive patients (median age 64 years, range 43-92; median Body Mass Index [BMI] 30.5, range 21.9-46.7) who underwent total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salphingo-ophorectomy (THBSO) were included in the study. Following intraoperative macroscopic evaluation, frozen section was carried out in 15 (19%) patients. The median time to obtain the results was 16 min for macroscopic evaluation, and 29 min for the macro/micro assessment. RESULTS: Macroscopic only assessment correctly identified depth of myoinvasion in 91% of patients, while, when the frozen section was carried out, myoinvasion was correctly identified in 95% of patients. For macroscopic only and macro-micro assessment sensitivity and specificity were 76% and 98%, 86% and 98%, respectively. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that the frozen section may improve, the diagnostic value of macroscopic only intraoperative assessment of myometrial invasion in selected patients.     

Association of CD44 isoform immunohistochemical expression with myometrial and vascular invasion in endometrioid endometrial carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Appropriate clinical management of cases of FIGO Grade I and II endometrial carcinoma relies heavily on the determination of myometrial invasion (MI). There are no reports addressing expression of the cell adhesion molecule CD44 in the subset of Grade I and II endometrioid carcinoma (EC) as it relates to prognosis, including MI. METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining for CD44s and CD44v6 was evaluated in 40 hysterectomy specimens with Grade I and II EC, including 11 noninvasive ECs, 14 with MI <50% of myometrial thickness, and 15 with deep invasion (MI >50%). Staining characteristics according to the presence of MI and vascular space invasion (VSI) were evaluated. Strong membranous staining of >10% of tumor cells was interpreted as positive. RESULTS: CD44v6 staining was positive in 20% (8/40) of cases, including 45% (5/11) of EC without MI but only 10% (3/29) with MI (P = 0.025). CD44v6 staining was not present in deeply invasive tumors (0/15), while it was present in 8/25 superficially or noninvasive tumors (P = 0.016). Sensitivity and specificity were 25 and 100%, respectively, using CD44v6 in evaluating deep myometrial invasion. CD44s showed a trend toward positive staining when comparing noninvasive versus invasive tumors and noninvasive/superficially invasive versus deeply invasive tumors (P = 0.08 and 0.12, respectively). CD44s or CD44v6 staining was highly specific for absence of VSI, although statistical comparison did not reach significance. CONCLUSION: Deeply invasive EC was associated with a consistent lack of CD44v6 expression. This may have potential clinical utility if this finding is demonstrated in further study of prehysterectomy sampling specimens containing EC.     

Accuracy of frozen-section examination for myometrial invasion and grade in endometrial cancer

Objective

To evaluate the accuracy of frozen section (FS) analysis in endometrial cancer.

Study design

The medical records of 816 patients with stage IA–IVB endometrial carcinoma were evaluated. Concordance of the frozen section examination and postoperative evaluation in terms of the depth of myometrial invasion (MI) and grade was assessed.

Results

The mean age of the patients was 58.1 years. Postoperative pathology revealed endometrioid type tumor in 756 patients. Concordance of intraoperative and postoperative pathology results in terms of grade was 89%. This rate was 96.8% for grade 1, 86% for grade 2 and 91.3% for grade 3 tumors. Sensitivity and specificity of intraoperative evaluation for grade 1, grade 2 and grade 3 were 89.3%, 91.2%, 77.8% and 93.1%, 96.1%, 99.5%, respectively. Intraoperative and postoperative determination of MI was consistent in 85.4% of patients. MI was assessed accurately in 78.5% of patients with no involvement of myometrium and in 90.5% and 95.3% of patients with myometrial invasion <1/2 and ≥1/2, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity of FS in prediction of the absence of MI, MI < 1/2 and ≥1/2 were 60%, 91.5%, 88.8% and 96.6%, 88.3%, 98.3%, respectively. The accuracy of myometrial invasion was affected by the postoperative grade. Concordance was higher in grade 2 and 3 than grade 1 tumors.

Conclusion

The accuracy of intraoperative pathologic evaluation in endometrial cancer is reasonably high. For that reason, results of the intraoperative pathologic examination should be taken into consideration primarily in the management for lymphadenectomy.