Clinical over- and under-estimation in patients who underwent hysterectomy for atypical endometrial hyperplasia diagnosed by endometrial biopsy: the predictive value of clinical parameters and diagnostic imaging

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical and imaging characteristics in patients diagnosed with atypical endometrial hyperplasia based on endometrial biopsy in comparison with the final diagnosis from resected uteri; i.e. to determine the rates of underestimation (endometrial cancer), equivalent diagnosis (atypical hyperplasia), and overestimation (hyperplasia without atypia or non-hyperplastic lesion). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed 33 patients who were diagnosed with atypical endometrial hyperplasia by endometrial biopsy using a small curette and then underwent total abdominal hysterectomy between September 1992 and May 2002. Clinical parameters obtained from patients' charts, and imaging analyses using transvaginal ultrasonography (TUS) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging were retrospectively re-examined. RESULTS: Among 33 patients who underwent hysterectomy due to a diagnosis of atypical hyperplasia, nine cases (27.2%) were underestimated (cancer), nine cases (27.2%) were equivalent and 15 cases (45.6%) were overestimated as indicated by examination of the endometrium of the resected uterus. There was no difference among these groups in either clinical parameters or diagnostic images obtained by TUS or MR. CONCLUSION: Diagnosis of atypical endometrial hyperplasia by endometrial biopsy often resulted in under- or over-estimation, as shown by examination after hysterectomy. As there is neither a reliable clinical parameter nor imaging feature to distinguish between these groups, hysterectomy is still the best treatment for these patients if they are willing to give up their fertility.     

The management of endometrial hyperplasia: an evaluation of current practice

OBJECTIVE: To identify current management practices and evaluate subsequent outcomes of treatment for women diagnosed with endometrial hyperplasia. STUDY DESIGN: All women with a histological diagnosis of endometrial hyperplasia at the Birmingham Women's Hospital were identified between October 1998 and September 2000. A retrospective case note review was performed for each woman using a standardised data abstraction sheet. Baseline characteristics including clinical presentation and treatment strategy were obtained. Results of subsequent endometrial tissue examinations were used to assess histological response to treatment and the need and indication for hysterectomy was used to assess clinical response. RESULTS: There were 351 women diagnosed with endometrial hyperplasia during the study period of which 84% presented with symptoms of abnormal uterine bleeding and 54% were postmenopausal. Complex endometrial hyperplasia was the most common diagnosis accounting for 60% of all cases. Eighty percent of women with atypical endometrial hyperplasia were treated by hysterectomy compared with 30% without evidence of cytological atypia (relative hysterectomy rate of 2.6, 95% CI 2.0-3.3). Hysterectomy was avoided in 138/172 (80%, 95% CI 74-86%) women managed conservatively during the study period. Overall 35/108 (36%, 95% CI 27-46%) of women managed conservatively had persistent or progressive disease identified (mean follow up 36 months). 20/143 (14%) women initially diagnosed with endometrial hyperplasia who subsequently underwent hysterectomy were found to have endometrial cancer, the majority of whom had been diagnosed with atypical disease (14/20, 70%). CONCLUSION(S): The majority of women with atypical endometrial hyperplasia were managed by hysterectomy and the substantial risk of diagnostic under-call supports this approach to treatment. In contrast, there is no consensus regarding the initial management of women with endometrial hyperplasia without cytological atypia.     

The value of curettage in diagnosis of endometrial hyperplasia.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the value of diagnosis of endometrial hyperplasia by curettage and to determine the results of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunostaining in differentiating endometrial carcinoma from endometrial hyperplasia. METHODS: According to Kurman's criteria, we treated 150 patients with endometrial hyperplasia detected by curettage and compared retrospectively the diagnosis by curettage with that by hysterectomy. PCNA expression was examined using immunohistochemostaining on 60 patients with complex atypical hyperplasia detected by curettage. RESULTS: Simple hyperplasia was found by curettage in 53 patients, complex hyperplasia in 11, simple atypical hyperplasia in 26, and complex atypical hyperplasia in 60. All patients were rediagnosed after hysterectomy. As a result, 65 were found to have simple hyperplasia, 7 complex hyperplasia, 15 simple atypical hyperplasia, 29 complex atypical hyperplasia, and 34 endometrial carcinoma. The accuracy of histological diagnosis by curettage was 76.7-92.0% and was dependent on different types of hyperplasia. Simple atypical hyperplasia and complex atypical hyperplasia were more likely to coexist with endometrial carcinoma than both simple hyperplasia and complex hyperplasia (chi2 = 26.3, P < 0.001), and complex atypical hyperplasia was more likely to coexist with endometrial carcinoma than simple atypical hyperplasia (chi2 = 9.78, P < 0.005). In complex atypical hyperplasia patients, coexistence with endometrial carcinoma was more common after menopause than before menopause (chi2 = 3.93, P < 0.05). In complex atypical hyperplasia patients, the expression of PCNA in cases associated with endometrial carcinoma was higher or stronger than in cases associated without endometrial carcinoma (chi2 = 7.68, P < 0.01, or U = 252.00, P < 0.01). Conclusions. Curettage tends to be more highly accurate in diagnosing simple hyperplasia than complex atypical hyperplasia, which is often found by hysterectomy to be associated with endometrial carcinoma. The expression of PCNA may be helpful in differentiating complex atypical hyperplasia from endometrial carcinoma.     

Endometrial hyperplasia and carcinoma in endometrial polyps: clinicopathologic and follow-up findings.

The objectives of this study were: 1) to evaluate findings in follow-up hysterectomy specimens after a diagnosis of complex atypical hyperplasia or carcinoma in endometrial polyps (EMPs) for possible significance in management strategies; and 2)to identify features in these polyps, that are predictive of the presence of endometrial hyperplasia or carcinoma in subsequent hysterectomy. Records of all cases of EMPs with endometrial hyperplasia were retrieved from the files of New York University Medical Center from 1993 to 2005. Those cases with follow-up hysterectomy were selected for the study. Of the 29 patients with complex atypical hyperplasia within the polyp, 19 out of 29 (66%) patients had hyperplasia of the non-polyp endometrium, and adenocarcinoma was observed in 9 out of 29 (31%) patients on follow-up hysterectomy. The percentage of polyp area involved by the hyperplasia was predictive of finding endometrial disorder in subsequent hysterectomy (P = 0.005). Of the 8 patients with adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) within the polyp 3 (38%) had myoinvasive adenocarcinoma. In contrast, in cases without AIS, 4 out of 21 (19%) had myoinvasive adenocarcinoma in follow-up hysterectomy. Eight of the nine cases with carcinoma in endometrial polyp had endometrial pathology on hysterectomy. Approximately two thirds of the patients with hyperplasia and 90% of patients with adenocarcinoma in endometrial polyps show endometrial pathology on subsequent hysterectomy. The above findings reinforce the need for hysterectomy especially in postmenopausal women with atypical complex hyperplasia or carcinoma in endometrial polyps even if these changes appear confined to the polyp in initial sampling.     

Resectoscopic surgery may be an alternative to hysterectomy in high-risk women with atypical endometrial hyperplasia

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Endometrial hyperplasia is found in 2% to 10% of women with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB). Up to 43% of patients with cytologic atypia harbor coexisting adenocarcinoma, and approximately 20% to 52% of atypical hyperplasias, if untreated, progress to cancer. The objective of this study was to estimate the incidence of atypical endometrial hyperplasia encountered during routine resectoscopic surgery in women with AUB and to evaluate the role of resectoscopic surgery in the management of women with AUB and atypical endometrial hyperplasia who refused and/or were at high risk for hysterectomy. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-3). SETTING: University-affiliated teaching hospital. PATIENTS: From January 1990 through December 2005, the senior author (GAV) performed primary resectoscopic surgery in 3401 women with AUB. Among these, there were 22 women with atypical (17 complex, 5 simple) endometrial hyperplasia. INTERVENTIONS: All women underwent hysteroscopic evaluation and partial (n = 3) or complete (n = 19) endometrial electrocoagulation and/or resection. Subsequently, 6 women had hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The median (range) for age, parity, and body mass index were 55 years (24-78 years), 2 (0-4), and 30.1 kg/m2 (22.5-52.2 kg/m2), respectively. Among the 3401 women, there were 22 cases of atypical endometrial hyperplasia, 12 of which were incidentally diagnosed at the time of hysteroscopy (complex 10, simple 2, incidence 0.35%). After hysteroscopic diagnosis or confirmation of diagnosis, 6 women underwent hysterectomy and BSO. Of the remaining 16 women, followed for a median of 5 years (range 1.5-12 years), 1 was lost to follow-up, 1 had only a biopsy to preserve fertility, 1 died from lung cancer after 4 years, and 1 died from colon cancer after 5 years. One patient developed endometrial cancer after 10.5 years with postmenopausal bleeding. She remains alive and well 3.5 years after hysterectomy and BSO. The remaining 11 patients are amenorrheic at a median follow-up of 6 years (range 1.5-12 years). CONCLUSIONS: Resectoscopic surgery in 3391 women with AUB detected 12 incidental cases of atypical endometrial hyperplasia (incidence 0.35%). Skillful resectoscopic surgery may be an alternative to hysterectomy in women with AUB and atypical endometrial hyperplasia, who refuse or are at high-risk for hysterectomy and who are compliant with regular and long-term follow-up.     

Atypical hyperplasia of endometrium and hysteroscopy

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risk of discovering an endometrial cancer when atypical hyperplasia was diagnosed by either endometrial samples using the pipelle device or hysteroscopic resection products. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective monocentric study from january 1990 to july 2000. Twenty-three patients with atypical hyperplasia were included. Initial endometrial status was provided by endometrial biopsyduring diagnosis hysteroscopy (12 cases) or by operative hysteroscopic resection products (11 cases). For 23 patients, operative hysteroscopy and analyse of products resected were performed. For all patients, there was no hysteroscopical aspect evocative of adenocarcinoma. For 23 patients, histopathological analysis of the hysterectomy piece precised the final diagnosis. RESULTS: Among the 23 hysterectomy pieces, 7 adenocarcinomas were diagnosed (30.4%). Risk for discovering adenocarcinoma when atypical hyperplasia was diagnosed by means of the pipelle biopsy device was 50% (6/12). Risk for discovering adenocarcinoma when atypical hyperplasia was diagnosed by means of operative hysteroscopy resection products was 5.9 % (1/17). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Atypical endometrial hyperplasia evidenced by pipelle biopsy device is often associated with adenocarcinoma. Diagnosis hysteroscopy however does not show evident pathological aspect of adenocarcinoma in such cases. Operative hysteroscopy allows in most cases correction of endometrial status. Risk of omitting adenocarcinoma when atypical hyperplasia is discovered on hysteroscopic resection pieces is low.     

Concurrent endometrial carcinoma following hysterectomy for atypical endometrial hyperplasia

Objective

To evaluate the prevalence of concurrent endometrial carcinoma in women diagnosed with atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH) by endometrial biopsy.

Study design

We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 126 patients who underwent hysterectomies for AEH diagnosed by endometrial biopsy from 1999 to 2008. AEH was initially diagnosed by dilatation and curettage (98 cases) or endometrial biopsy with a Z-sampler (24 cases). The remaining four cases were diagnosed by hysteroscopic polypectomy. The results of the endometrial biopsies were graded on an ordinal scale and were compared with pathologic features obtained at the hysterectomy.

Results

In patients preoperatively diagnosed with AEH by biopsy, hysterectomy specimens revealed a rate of simple or complex endometrial hyperplasia without atypia of 27% with AEH and normal proliferative phases found in 54.7 and 7.9% of specimens, respectively. The incidence of endometrial carcinoma was considerably high (13/126, 10.3%). Eleven of 13 cases were confined to the endometrium and the remaining two were located at the adenomyosis without myometrial invasion. All patients with endometrial carcinoma displayed coexisting atypical complex hyperplasia following hysterectomy.

Conclusions

Biopsy specimens showing AEH, particularly atypical complex hyperplasia, are associated with a risk of coexisting endometrial carcinoma. When considering management strategies for women with a biopsy diagnosis of AEH, clinicians should take into account the considerable rate of concurrent endometrial cancer and the discrepancy with pathologic diagnosis. Treatment modalities may differ depending on population as the rates of concurrent endometrial cancer with AEH and myometrial invasion vary by geographical location.     

Prevalence of underlying adenocarcinoma in women with atypical endometrial hyperplasia.

There is controversy regarding the prevalence of underlying endometrial adenocarcinoma among women with a diagnosis of atypical endometrial hyperplasia. This study further defines that risk. At our institution atypical endometrial proliferations non-diagnostic for invasive adenocarcinoma are diagnosed as either atypical endometrial hyperplasia (ATHY) or as an "atypical proliferative lesion of the endometrium, suggestive but not diagnostic of atypical endometrial hyperplasia" (APL). Between 1996 and 2003, these diagnoses were made on either endometrial biopsy or endometrial curettings in 60 women who subsequently received a hysterectomy. Endometrial adenocarcinoma was identified in 48% (29/60) of the hysterectomy specimens. Age and sampling method had no significant impact on the prevalence of adenocarcinoma. Adenocarcinoma was no more likely to be subsequently identified when a woman had a preoperative diagnosis of ATHY (24 of 52, 46%) compared to APL (5 of 8, 63%). In some women with a diagnosis of ATHY a comment was made in the report that "carcinoma cannot be ruled out". These cases had a significantly higher prevalence of underlying adenocarcinoma (16 of 25, 64%) compared to cases of ATHY in which such a comment was not made (8 of 27, 30%) (p = 0.025). In conclusion, there is a high prevalence of underlying endometrial adenocarcinoma among women undergoing hysterectomy for any of atypical endometrial proliferation.     

Hysteroscopic view in atypical endometrial hyperplasias: A correlation with pathologic findings on hysterectomy specimens

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether hysteroscopic imaging can contribute to decrease the rate of undetected endometrial carcinomas concurrent with atypical hyperplasia diagnosed by endometrial biopsy. DESIGN: Retrospective study. DESIGN CLASSIFICATION: Canadian Task Force Classification II-3. SETTING: Public hospital. PATIENTS: Hysteroscopic reports of 25 menopausal patients undergoing endometrial biopsy yielding a diagnosis of atypical hyperplasia were reviewed. On the basis of this diagnosis, all patients were treated by hysterectomy, and the pathologic findings on the uterine specimen were correlated with the diagnoses obtained by hysteroscopic view. INTERVENTIONS: Hysteroscopy was video-assisted and carried out with normal saline solution used as liquid distension medium; a 5-mm sheathed hysteroscope, with a working channel, was used for each examination. After hysteroscopic inspection, an endometrial sampling targeted under vision was performed by mechanical or electrosurgical instrumentation. When extensive features of hyperplastic or neoplastic growth were observed, we combined a blind sampling procedure with Vabra-curettage. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, and negative and positive predictive values of hysteroscopic inspection to foresee the diagnosis of endometrial cancer incidentally detected on hysterectomy specimen. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: On the basis of histopathologic study of uterine specimens, non atypical hyperplasias were detected in 3 patients, the diagnosis of complex atypical hyperplasia was confirmed in 11 patients, whereas a concurrent infiltrating endometrial adenocarcinoma was detected in 11 patients (44.0%). In the 14 patients with diagnosis of endometrial hyperplasia, no feature suggesting endometrial malignancy was reported by hysteroscopic inspection. In the 11 cases showing infiltrating carcinomas, hysteroscopic view was consistent with endometrial malignancy in 9 patients and with endometrial hyperplasia in 2 patients. An intramucous endometrial carcinoma without evidence of myometrial invasion was found on hysterectomy specimens of these two latter patients. From these figures, sensitivity, specificity, and negative and positive predictive values of hysteroscopy to foresee a diagnosis of infiltrating carcinoma were 84.6%, 100%, 87.5%, and 100%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Hysteroscopic view is a sensitive and specific method to identify among patients with a diagnosis of atypical hyperplasia on endometrial biopsy those with a coexisting infiltrating carcinoma.     

Accuracy of endometrial biopsy with the Cornier pipelle for diagnosis of endometrial cancer and atypical hyperplasia

OBJECTIVE: To establish the accuracy of endometrial biopsy with the Cornier pipelle in the diagnosis of endometrial cancer and atypical endometrial hyperplasia in our milieu. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We reviewed 1,535 anatomopathologic reports on endometrial biopsies taken from outpatients using the Cornier pipelle between 1997 and 2000, in pre- and postmenopausal patients with abnormal vaginal bleeding. In 168 patients (10.9%), curettage and/or hysterectomy was subsequently carried out. In these cases, the anatomopathologic reports were compared to determine sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and likelihood ratio (LR). RESULTS: Sensitivity was 84.2%, specificity was 99.1%, accuracy was 96.9%, PPV was 94.1%, NPV was 93.7% and LR was 93.5. In 249 cases (16.09%) the material was insufficient for study. CONCLUSION: We determined that endometrial biopsy taken with the Cornier pipelle is, as we practice it, an accurate method for diagnosis of endometrial cancer and its precursor, atypical hyperplasia.     

子宫内膜非典型增生79例临床病理特征分析

目的 分析子宫内膜非典型增生患者的临床病理特征.方法 选择2007年3月至2010年7月北京大学人民医院收治的诊断为子宫内膜非典型增生患者79例,其中49例(62%)为单纯子宫内膜非典型增生(增生组),30例(38%)为子宫内膜非典型增生合并癌变(癌变组).回顾性分析子宫内膜非典型增生患者的临床病理特征[包括年龄、孕产次、体质指数(BMI)、绝经及阴道流血情况、合并症、B超检查等],并对两组患者进行比较.分析了分段诊刮及宫腔镜检查在子宫内膜非典型增生诊断中的价值.结果 (1)年龄:患者平均年龄为(50±11)岁,其中癌变组为(51±11)岁,增生组为(50±10)岁,两组比较,差异无统计学意义(P=0.994).(2)孕产次:两组患者孕产次分别比较,差异均无统计学意义(P＞0.05).(3)合并症:增生组和癌变组有合并症的患者分别为23例(47%)和13例(43%),两组比较,差异无统计学意义(P=0.755).(4)BMI:癌变组明显高于增生组[分别为(27.9±5.4)和(25.2±2.9)kg/m2,P=0.024].(5)绝经及阴道流血情况:绝经后患者癌变组为50%(15/30),增生组为31%(15/49),两组比较,差异无统计学意义(P=0.085);绝经后阴道流血患者癌变组为13/15,增生组为8/15,两组比较,差异无统计学意义(P=0.109);未绝经有月经改变患者癌变组为12/15,增生组为68%(23/34),两组比较,差异无统计学意义(P=0.590).(6)B超检查:癌变组阳性(指官腔有回声团)率明显高于增生组[分别为73%(22/30)和51%(25/49),P=0.050].(7)分段诊刮和官腔镜检查的诊断价值:行分段诊刮活检患者23例(29%)、宫腔镜活检44例(56%),两者对非典型增生的初次诊断率分别为87%(21/23)和93%(41/44),对非典型增生伴癌变的初次诊断率分别为6/12和12/16,诊断为非典型增生的患者中癌变的漏诊率分别为6/13和19%(4/21),分别比较,差异均无统计学意义(P＞0.05).结论 对于围绝经期异常阴道流血患者,应积极进行分段诊刮及官腔镜检查,分段诊刮或官腔镜活检诊断为子宫内膜非典型增生患者中,若其BMI较高或B超提示官腔有回声团,应警惕合并子宫内膜癌的可能.

Abstract：

Objective To explore the clinicopathological characteristics in atypical endometrial hyperplasia patients. Methods A retrospective study was carry out on 79 cases with atypical endometrial hyperplasia patients admitted to Department of Gynecology, Peking University People's Hospital from Mar.2007 to Jul. 2010. All patients were divided into two groups, hyperplasia group (merely atypical endometrial hyperplasia, 49 cases, 62%) and cancerization group (atypical endometrial hyperplasia accompanying endometrial carcinoma, 30 cases, 38%). Results The mean age of 79 cases were (50 ± 11) years old ,while they were (50 ± 10) and (51 ± 11) years old for hyperplasia group and cancerization group, there were not difference (P = 0.994). The gravidity and delivery frequencies were also not differently between two groups. The rates of complicated other diseases were 47% (23/49) and 43% (13/30), which was not significantly different (P = 0.755). The body mass index (BMI) of cancerization group was higher than that of hyperplasia group [(27.9 ± 5.4) vs. (25.2 ± 2.9) kg/m2, P = 0.024]. There were 50% (15/30) and 31% (15/49) menopause cases in two groups, respectively. Among them there were 13/15 and 8/15 cases showed vaginal bleeding. Among premenopausal patients, there were 12/15 and 68% (23/34) showed abnormal vaginal bleeding, but there were not significantly different between two groups (all P ＞ 0.05). The uterine cavity mass found by ultrasonography in the cancerization group patients was more than that in hyperplasia group [73% (22/30) vs. 51% (25/49), P = 0.050]. There were 23 cases (29%), 44 cases (56%) and 12 cases (15%) were diagnosed by dilatation and curettage (D&G), hysteroscopy and hysterectomy, respectively. The rates of diagnosing atypical endometrial hyperplasia by D&G and hysteroscopy were 87 % (21/23) and 93 % (41/44), respectively. The rate of diagnosis of canceration were 6/12 and 12/16, respectively. While, the rate of missed diagnosis of canceration in the atypical endometrial hyperplasia patients by D&G and hysteroscopy were 6/13 and 19% (4/21) ,respectively. Which all did not shown significantly different (P ＞ 0.05). Conclusion Hysteroseopy or D&G should be chosen on those peri-menopausal patients with abnormal bleeding, while those atypical endometrial hyperplasia patients with high BMI and uterine cavity mass diagnosed with D&G and ultrasonography should consider the possibility of canceration.     

子宫内膜不典型增生患者的内膜癌漏诊因素分析

目的:探讨子宫内膜不典型增生患者子宫内膜癌漏诊的因素及合理治疗方案。方法:回顾分析132例子宫内膜不典型增生子宫切除前后的临床病理资料。根据术前内膜取样方式分为宫腔镜组与诊刮组,比较两种方式的诊断符合率。比较术前病理与术中冰冻病理、术后常规病理,分析其主要临床病理资料。结果:132子宫内膜不典型增生患者中,术后证实为子宫内膜癌者42例(31.82%)。诊刮组的内膜癌漏诊率为32.99%(32/97),高于宫腔镜组28.75%(10/35),但无统计学差异(P0.05)。42例内膜癌患者中,95.24%(40/42)为子宫内膜样腺癌,ⅠA期38例(90.48%),高分化癌34例(80.95%)。术中行冰冻病理检查者115例,其中11例子宫内膜癌漏诊。长期月经紊乱、未生育患者子宫内膜癌漏诊的风险增高。结论:子宫内膜病理诊断为不典型增生的患者有子宫内膜癌漏诊的风险,尤其是长期月经紊乱、未生育的女性。子宫内膜不典型增生的治疗应采取个体化治疗方案。     

Endometrial cancer in patients with preoperative diagnosis of atypical endometrial hyperplasia

OBJECTIVE: Atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH) has been associated with the presence of concomitant endometrial carcinoma (EC). The aim of this study is to examine the frequency of coexisting endometrial carcinoma when atypical endometrium hyperplasia was found upon biopsy. We also evaluated the influence of preoperative diagnostic techniques (pipelle and dilation and curettage (D&C)), and the value of transvaginal ultrasound in detecting unexpected tumor invasion. STUDY DESIGN: Between January 1992 and December 2003, at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Parma, and Policlinico S. Matteo, Pavia, 70 consecutive patients subjected to total hysterectomy with a histological diagnosis of AEH were retrospectively selected. 52/70 patients underwent vaginal hysterectomy, with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) whereas 18/70 had abdominal hysterectomy with BSO within 8 weeks since the diagnosis of AEH. RESULTS: We found in 30 of the 70 patients with atypical endometrial hyperplasia in the biopsy coexisting endometrial carcinoma (43%). No differences in diagnostic accuracy between the pipelle method and D&C were found. CONCLUSION: Transvaginal ultrasound was not a feasible method for predicting EC. After a follow-up of an average of 5 years there was, neither in the abdominal operated patients nor in the vaginal operated patients, a recurrence of disease.     

Incidence of endometrial carcinoma in patients with endometrial hyperplasia

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this retrospective study was to establish the risk of developing endometrial adenocarcinoma in patients diagnosed with endometrial hyperplasia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The incidence of endometrial hyperplasia and its relation with endometrial adenocarcinoma was evaluated in 1,139 patients who presented with abnormal bleeding between January 2000 and December 2004; D&C was performed in all cases. There were 591 (51.88%) cases of simple endometrial hyperplasia, out of which 110 (18.61% from 51.88%) cases had atypia, 60 (5.26%) cases of complex hyperplasia, out of which 19 (31.66% from 5.26%) had atypia, and the remaining 488 (42.84%) had different forms of mixed hyperplasia. RESULTS: The incidence of endometrial adenocarcinoma was 3.87% in atypical hyperplasia and 0.81% in other forms, and was related only to cases with atypia in which the incidence was 0.61%. CONCLUSIONS: The most indicated measure to prevent endometrial carcinoma in cases with complex endometria hyperplasia with atypia is hysterectomy, while for other forms of hyperplasia, hormonal treatment is used but only under strict control.     

Valor de la histeroscopia en la hiperplasia endometrial con atipias

Objective

To evaluate the utility of hysteroscopy in the diagnosis of atypical hyperplasia and its ability to identify concurrent endometrial cancer.

Subjects and methods

We describe the clinical activity from January 1, 1996 to December 31, 2002, in our hospital gynecology unit. All cases of atypical hyperplasia were collected. Diagnoses made by hysteroscopy combined with different techniques of endometrial biopsy and surgical specimen analysis after hysterectomy were evaluated. All these data were correlated to analyze their diagnostic capacity.

Results

A large percentage of endometrial cancers (11/18) was previously diagnosed exclusively by hysteroscopy, based on morphological approaches. Endometrial biopsy underestimated 22.7% of cases of adenocarcinoma and overestimated 46.8% of cases of atypical hyperplasia.

Conclusions

Hysteroscopy could be a highly useful diagnostic tool to identify endometrial cancer in women with a finding of atypical endometrial hyperplasia on biopsy. Studies with a sufficiently large number of patients to show statistical significance are required.     

Hiperplasia endometrial atípica en biopsia preoperatoria y resultado de la pieza de histerectomía

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between diagnosis of atypical endometrial hyperplasia in a curettage sample and the final pathological result after hysterectomy.

Material and methods

There were 33 patients who fulfilled the criteria for inclusion in this study. Clinical records were reviewed to identify clinical, histopathological and treatment data.

Results

Adenocarcinoma was found in four (12.12%) of the 33 surgical specimens from hysterectomy. Endometrial hyperplasia was found in 28 specimens, although 12 (36.3%) of these specimens showed no atypia. No endometrial hyperplasia or signs of any other tumor were found in one specimen.

Conclusions

After pathological findings of atypical endometrial hyperplasia, the next step should be to perform hysterectomy. Given the major risks of delaying or not performing surgery for a possible concomitant endometrial cancer, which can be treated and cured, the risk of overtreating some patients is acceptable.     

Risk of finding an endometrial cancer when atypical hyperplasia was incidentally diagnosed on hysteroscopic resection products

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risk of discovering an endometrial cancer when atypical hyperplasia was diagnosed by histologic examination of hysteroscopic resection products. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective monocentric study from January 1994 to January 2001. Seventeen patients with atypical hyperplasia were included. Initial endometrial status was provided by operative hysteroscopy resection products. For all patients, there was no hysteroscopical aspect evocative of adenocarcinoma. Histopathological analysis of the hysterectomy pieces precised the final diagnosis. RESULTS: Among the 17 hysterectomy pieces, one adenocarcinoma was diagnosed. Risk for discovering adenocarcinoma when atypical hyperplasia was diagnosed by operative hysteroscopy resection products was 5.9% (1/17). CONCLUSION: Risk of omitting adenocarcinoma when atypical hyperplasia is discovered by hysteroscopy resection pieces is low.     

Preoperative and postoperative correlation of histopathological findings in cases of endometrial hyperplasia

OBJECTIVES: To determine the preoperative and postoperative correlation of histopathological findings in cases of endometrial hyperplasia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred and three patients with endometrial hyperplasia detected by surgical curettage performed due to various gynecologic pathologies were treated by hysterectomy. We compared retrospectively the histopathological diagnoses found on curettage with those found on hysterectomy specimens. The classification scheme endorsed by the International Society of Gynecological Pathologists was used to classify the endometrial hyperplasia. The histologic findings found on the endometrial tissue of curettage specimens were correlated with those from hysterectomy specimens. Histopathologic evaluation was performed by a single skilled gynecologic pathologist. RESULTS: A total number of 103 women--76 (73.8%) premenopausal and 27 (26.2%) postmenopausal--were determined to have endometrial hyperplasia on histopathological evaluation of endometrial tissues obtained by endometrial curettage performed for evaluation of various bleeding abnormalities. These included 94 patients with simple hyperplasia without atypia (91.3%), two patients with simple hyperplasia with atypia (1.9%), five patients with complex hyperplasia without atypia (4.9%), and two patients with complex hyperplasia with atypia (1.9%). Histopathological evaluation of endometrial tissue obtained from hysterectomy specimens (of patients diagnosed with hyperplasia on curettage) revealed a total number of 65 cases (63.1%) with endometrial hyperplasia, and 38 cases (36.9%) with various histopathological findings. The correlation between preoperative and postoperative endometrial histologic findings was found to be statistically insignificant (r = 0.105, p = 0.29). Among 94 patients who were found to have simple hyperplasia without atypia on curettage specimens, 55.3%, were found to have simple hyperplasia without atypia, 1.1% simple hyperplasia with atypia, 5.3% complex hyperplasia without atypia, 9.6% secretory endometrium, 4.3% proliferative endometrium, 21.3% disorganized proliferative endometrium, 1.1% corpus luteum persistency, 1.1% basal endometrium, and 1.1% endometrium cancer on final hysterectomy specimens. CONCLUSION: Postoperative diagnosis of endometrial pathology might be different from that of preoperative especially in cases with simple endometrial hyperplasia without atypia.     

Resectoscopic surgery in 10 women with abnormal uterine bleeding and atypical endometrial hyperplasia

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of the resectoscope in the diagnosis and treatment of women with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) and atypical endometrial hyperplasia. DESIGN: Retrospective case series (Canadian Task Force classification III-3). SETTING: University-affiliated teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Ten women. Intervention. Hysteroscopic evaluation after preoperative endometrial biopsy indicated simple hyperplasia without atypia, complex hyperplasia with atypia, or inadequate specimen. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Atypical hyperplasia was confirmed in eight patients after total endomyometrial resection. Hysterectomy was offered to all patients but accepted by only two: one for bilateral ovarian serous cystadenomas and the second for a granulosa cell ovarian tumor. No residual endometrium was found in hysterectomy specimens. Seven women were amenorrheic and well 1 to 9 years after resection. An additional patient with amenorrhea died from colon cancer 2 years after resection. CONCLUSION: Resectoscopic surgery confirmed or detected atypical endometrial hyperplasia in eight women and excluded it in two patients with AUB and a previous diagnosis of simple hyperplasia, atypical hyperplasia, or inadequate specimen. Skillful resectoscopic surgery may be an alternative to hysterectomy in selected patients with atypical hyperplasia who are compliant with regular and long-term follow-up.     

Histopathologic behavior of endometrial hyperplasia during tamoxifen therapy for breast cancer

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study is to prospectively evaluate the effects of tamoxifen on the pathological behavior of endometrial hyperplasias without atypia, diagnosed before the start of adjuvant endocrine therapy, in menopausal patients suffering from breast cancer. METHODS: Twenty-six patients suffering from estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer and candidate to receive adjuvant tamoxifen, were found to be affected by endometrial hyperplasias before the start of endocrine therapy. All women showed a baseline endometrial stripe, measured by transvaginal ultrasonography, thicker than 4 mm and the diagnosis of endometrial hyperplasia was made by hysteroscopy and endometrial biopsy. Two patients showing complex atypical hyperplasia underwent vaginal hysterectomy, whereas the remaining 24 patients, suffering from endometrial hyperplasia without atypia, were followed on a yearly basis during the period of tamoxifen intake, by hysteroscopy and endometrial biopsy. RESULTS: Baseline histopathology showed simple and complex hyperplasia in 20 and in 4 patients, respectively. The median follow-up period was 38 months; in particular, all patients underwent endometrial assessment after 12 months, while 22, 16, 10 and 4 patients were followed-up after 24, 36, 48 and 60 months of tamoxifen therapy, respectively. Progression from complex hyperplasia to complex atypical hyperplasia (1 patient) and from complex and simple hyperplasia to adenocarcinomas (2 patients) was found within 24 months of tamoxifen intake in 3 patients (12.5%). In 2 patients (8.3%), a progression from simple to complex hyperplasia was detected within 36 months of tamoxifen treatment. In 13 patients (54.1%), stable histology of simple or complex hyperplasia was found, whereas 6 patients (25.0%), with focal hyperplasia harbored in an endometrial polyp, showed a normalization of endometrial histology after polyp resection. CONCLUSIONS: Endometrial hyperplasias without atypia diagnosed before endocrine therapy for breast cancer in menopausal patients show an early and high progression-rate to atypical lesions under tamoxifen influence.