Endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the ovary arising in atypical endometriosis

Ovarian endometriosis can transform into malignant tumors, and ovarian carcinomas relatively frequently contain foci of endometriosis. In this study, the author reviewed 15 cases of endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the ovary in the last 15 years of our pathology laboratory in search for the presence of endometriosis within the tumor. Six (40%) of the 15 endometrioid adenocarcinoma were found to have endometriosis in the tumor. All of the endometriosis were atypical. The age of the 6 patients ranged from 44 year to 78 year with a median of 59 years. Grossly, the endometrial adenocarcinomas with endometriosis were characterized by unilocular cystic tumors in 5 cases and multilocular cystic tumor in one case. Histologically, the grade of endometrioid carcinoma was grade I in 3 cases, grade II in 2 cases and grade III in 1 case. Endometriosis was mixed with the tumors or was present adjacent to the tumor. The endometriosis was composed of a layer of atypical epithelium (atypical endometriosis), and gradual merges between endometriosis and carcinoma were present in 3 cases. These findings suggest that atypical endometriosis can transform into endometrioid carcinoma.     

Primary endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the large intestine arising in colorectal endometriosis

AIMS: Three cases of endometrioid adenocarcinoma arising in colorectal endometriosis are described with discussion of their macroscopic and microscopic pathology and diagnosis, using immunohistochemistry. METHODS AND RESULTS: Three middle-aged women presented with symptoms and signs of colorectal mass effect. Two had a preceding history of gynaecological endometriosis and all three had either been on hormone replacement therapy or had functioning ovaries prior to presentation with colorectal disease. Each underwent resection of tumours of the distal large intestine. The definitive diagnosis was dependent on histological examination and immunohistochemistry, which was used to demonstrate an origin in endometriotic tissue. CONCLUSIONS: Endometrioid adenocarcinoma is a rare complication of colorectal endometriosis, this report contributing to a total of 25 cases in the literature. Definitive diagnosis, aided by immunohistochemical studies, is important to enable the identification of the optimal management for this uncommon condition.     

Mucinous endometrial adenocarcinoma simulating microglandular hyperplasia of the cervix

A case of endometrial adenocarcinoma simulating microglandular hyperplasia (MGH) of the cervix is presented. A postmenopausal 53-year-old woman, with no previous history of taking exogenous hormones, presented with vaginal bleeding. An endometrial biopsy exhibited a tumor composed predominantly of a microglandular proliferation of tightly packed glands with mild to moderate atypia and mitotic figures. The majority of the tumor cells contained intracytoplasmic mucin. There were numerous neutrophils within the microglandular lumens and in the stroma. The tumor was focally positive for carcinoembryonic antigen and vimentin. The MGH-like proliferation, focally, had a transition to a conventional mucinous adenocarcinoma. Hysterectomy specimens showed a residual mucinous endometrial adenocarcinoma with no myometrial invasion, the uterine cervix was unremarkable. Four years following her hysterectomy the patient was well, with no evidence of disease. Pathologists need to be cautious about MGH-like changes in the endometrial biopsy of postmenopausal women and be aware of this type of endometrial cancer as it may be misdiagnosed.     

Primary sex cord‐like variant of endometrioid adenocarcinoma arising from endometriosis

Endometriosis, a relatively common disease generally affecting women in the reproductive age group, is mostly found in the pelvic organs. Although endometriosis is a benign disease, some malignant tumors have been reported to develop in endometriotic lesions, most commonly in the ovary. The relationship between endometriosis and malignancy is not well known, but the majority of endometriosis‐associated ovarian malignancies are usually endometrioid adenocarcinomas and clear cell carcinomas. The sex cord‐like variant of endometrioid adenocarcinoma is a rare tumor that histologically closely resembles the sex cord‐stromal tumor. Despite its rarity, the correct histological diagnosis of the sex cord‐like variant of endometrioid adenocarcinoma is crucial to avoid misdiagnosis of a less aggressive tumor. We here report a 53‐year‐old woman who was diagnosed as having this very rare subtype of endometroid adenocarcinoma curiously arising from an endometriotic lesion at the site of previous salpingo‐oophorectomy. The tumor was diagnosed based on light microscopy and immunohistochemistry.     

Endometrioid adenocarcinoma arising from adenomyosis: report and immunohistochemical analysis of an unusual case

A case of endometrioid adenocarcinoma arising from adenomyosis is reported. The patient was a 53-year-old woman who complained of vulvar itching. Smear cytology of the endometrium revealed adenocarcinoma. Magnetic resonance imaging of the pelvis revealed a lesion with a slightly high intensity in the uterine fundus on a T2-weighted image. Semiradical total hysterectomy and bilateral adnexectomy were performed, followed by chemotherapy. Histologically, the lesion in the uterine fundus was composed mostly of adenocarcinoma with stromal invasion. There were many adenomyotic foci in and around the carcinoma, including some showing transition to adenocarcinoma. There was no malignant finding in the normally situated endometrium. The carcinoma invaded in the myometrium, involving the uterine serosa, but no dissemination to the peritoneal cavity was found. The carcinoma was, therefore, considered to be endometrioid adenocarcinoma arising from adenomyosis. Immunohistochemistry showed expression of p53 oncoprotein and Ki-67 antigen in the carcinoma cells. The value of immunohistochemistry in predicting prognosis is discussed.     

Primary mucinous adenocarcinoma of the vagina: possibility of differentiating from metastatic adenocarcinomas

Primary vaginal adenocarcinomas are rare neoplasms. Herein is reported a case of primary vaginal mucinous adenocarcinoma with an interesting mucin profile, presumably arising from a lesion of adenosis in a patient without in utero exposure to diethylstilbesterol (DES). The patient, a 44-year-old woman, had undergone vaginal total hysterectomy 10 years previously for myoma uteri corporis. The histological features of the vaginal intramural tumor found in this patient resembled those of mucinous adenocarcinoma of the endocervical type. Therefore, it was necessary to determine whether or not the tumor was metastatic from an occult cervical adenocarcinoma. However, the adenocarcinoma cells of the present case did not contain sulfomucin at all, being different from most mucinous adenocarcinoma cells of the endocervical type. Moreover, there were foci of adenosis adjacent to the adenocarcinoma foci, which also did not contain sulfomucin. These findings indicate that the mucinous adenocarcinoma arose from vaginal adenosis. Further studies are necessary to investigate whether lack of sulfomucin expression is a characteristic feature of vaginal adenosis.     

Endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the uterus with a minimal deviation invasive pattern

AIMS: Minimal deviation adenocarcinoma of endometrioid type is a rare pathological entity. We describe a variant of typical endometrioid adenocarcinoma associated with minimal deviation adenocarcinoma of endometrioid type. METHODS AND RESULTS: One 'pilot' case of minimal deviation adenocarcinoma of endometrioid type associated with typical endometrioid adenocarcinoma was encountered at our institution in 2001. A second case of same type was received in consultation. We reviewed 168 consecutive hysterectomy specimens diagnosed with 'endometrioid adenocarcinoma' specifically to identify areas of minimal deviation adenocarcinoma of endometrioid type. Immunohistochemistry was done with the following antibodies: MIB1, p53, oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), cytokeratin 7 (CK7), cytokeratin 20 (CK20), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and vimentin (VIM). Four additional cases of minimal deviation adenocarcinoma of endometrioid type were identified. All six cases of minimal deviation adenocarcinoma of endometrioid type were associated with superficial endometrioid adenocarcinoma. In two cases with a large amount of minimal deviation adenocarcinoma of endometrioid type, the cervix was involved. The immunoprofile of two representative cases was ER+, PR+, CK7+, CK20-, CEA-, VIM+. MIB1 immunostaining of four cases revealed little proliferative activity of the minimal deviation adenocarcinoma of endometrioid type glandular cells (0-1%) compared with the associated 'typical' endometrioid adenocarcinoma (20-30%). The same four cases showed no p53 immunostaining in minimal deviation adenocarcinoma of endometrioid type compared with a range of positive staining in the associated endometrioid adenocarcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: Minimal deviation adenocarcinoma of endometrioid type more often develops as a result of differentiation from typical endometrioid adenocarcinoma than de novo. Due to its deceptively benign microscopic appearance, minimal deviation adenocarcinoma of endometrioid type may be overlooked and may lead to incorrect assessment of tumour depth and pathological stage. There was a tendency for tumour with a large amount of minimal deviation adenocarcinoma of endometrioid type to invade the cervix.     

Clinicopathologic study of endometrial dedifferentiated endometrioid adenocarcinoma: a case report

In 2006, dedifferentiated endometrioid adenocarcinoma (undifferentiated carcinoma associated with low-grade endometrioid carcinoma) of the uterus was first proposed. Dedifferentiated endometrioid carcinoma is part of the spectrum of undifferentiated carcinoma of the endometrium which is a highly aggressive tumor even when the undifferentiated component represents only 20% of the entire neoplasm. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and appropriate classification of this neoplasm are important in patient management. Lack of the recognition may lead to misclassification of dedifferentiated endometrioid adenocarcinoma as a pure endometrioid adenocarcinoma which is less aggressive. Only 4 papers have appeared in the literature so far on the topic of dedifferentiated endometrioid carcinoma. We report herein a first case of endometrial dedifferentiated endometrioid carcinoma in a 51-year old woman in Chinese population. We performed immunoperoxidase studies for 12 markers. Among them, cytokeratins, keratin 7, keratin 18, EMA, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and vimentin show significantly differential expression between differentiated and undifferentiated area.     

Carcinoma arising in microglandular adenosis of the breast: triple negative phenotype with variable morphology

Carcinoma arising in microglandular adenosis (MGACA) is an extremely rare subtype of breast carcinoma. In this study, clinicopathological analysis of MGACA from 11 Chinese patients was conducted. Microscopically, all cases showed a spectrum of structure and glandular proliferations ranging from microglandular adenosis (MGA) to atypical MGA (AMGA) to MGACA. Carcinoma components were composed of high grade ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in 1 case and invasive carcinoma in 10 cases. Invasive carcinomas were grade 3 in 10 tumors and grade 2 in 1. Invasive components in 5 of 10 cases were composed of invasive carcinoma of no special type (NST), and 1 case showed partially acinic cell differentiation. In 5 cases, invasive components were mixed of NST and matrix-producing carcinoma (MPC). All epitheliums in 11 cases were triple negative (ER-, PR-, HER2-), and diffuse positive for CK and S-100 protein. No myoepithelial cells were demonstrable from MGA to invasive components with immunohistochemical staining for P63 and calponin. PAS or reticulin stain showed the presence of a basement membrane around glands in MGA, AMGA, DCIS, and its absence in invasive components. Follow-up time ranged from 10 to 64 months. One patient developed a lung metastasis 24 months after surgery, 10 patients have been alive without recurrence. Our study revealed that MGACA is a distinct subset of breast carcinoma, with triple negative phenotype, high grade nuclear and variable morphology. Despite histopathologic and immunohistochemical features usually associated with a poor prognosis, MGACA seems to have a relatively favorable outcome.     

Rectal mucosal endometriosis primarily misinterpreted as adenocarcinoma: a case report and review of literature

Endometriosis involving intestinal mucosa is relatively uncommon. It poses a diagnostic challenge for clinicians and pathologists. We herein report a case of colonoscopic specimen revealing rectal mucosal endometriosis. A 39-year-old woman complained of red rectal bleeding and intermittent abdominal pain. Colonoscopic examination showed a rectal mass with ulceration and circum wall involvement. Biopsy was processed in the suspicious of carcinoma. Morphologically, irregular glands replaced residual colorectal ones, displayed mucin depletion, nuclear stratification and subtile subnuclear vacuoles. The stroma was full of spindle cells with abundant pink cytoplasm and unclear boundary. Due to subjectively interpreting as dysplastic glands in desmoplastic setting, primary rectal adenocarcinoma was firstly raised. Immunohistochemically, CK7, ER and CD10 identified the essence of ectopic endometrium. CK20 and CDX2 highlighted residual glands. In case of misdiagnosis, any pathologists should be aware of intestinal endometriosis for each female’s colorectal biopsy, especially for that morphology not typical for primary adenocarcinoma or endometriosis. Reading slides carefully combined with a panel of immunomarkers would solve the pitfall.     

Immunohistochemical staining with MIB1, bcl2 and p16 assists in the distinction of cervical glandular intraepithelial neoplasia from tubo-endometrial metaplasia,endometriosis and microglandular hyperplasia

AIMS: Preinvasive endocervical glandular lesions, termed cervical glandular intraepithelial neoplasia, are increasing in incidence. The distinction of cervical glandular intraepithelial neoplasia from benign mimics, especially tubo-endometrial metaplasia, endometriosis and microglandular hyperplasia, can be difficult. This study investigates the value of immunohistochemical staining with MIB1, bcl2 and p16 in the distinction of cervical glandular intraepithelial neoplasia from these benign mimics. METHODS AND RESULTS: Immunohistochemical staining using the monoclonal antibodies MIB1, bcl2 and p16 was performed on cases of cervical glandular intraepithelial neoplasia (n = 21), tubo-endometrial metaplasia (n = 13), endometriosis (n = 7) and microglandular hyperplasia (n = 14). With tubo-endometrial metaplasia and microglandular hyperplasia staining with MIB1 was either negative or involved <10% of cells, while with cervical glandular intraepithelial neoplasia the majority of cases (86%) exhibited >10% positive cells. Two cases of endometriosis exhibited a MIB1 index of 10-30% while in the other cases <10% cells stained. With bcl2 the cells of microglandular hyperplasia were negative although there was staining of associated reserve cells in 43% of cases. All cases of tubo-endometrial metaplasia except one and all cases of endometriosis stained diffusely positive with bcl2. Cases of cervical glandular intraepithelial neoplasia were negative or exhibited focal staining. With p16 all cases of cervical glandular intraepithelial neoplasia exhibited diffuse strong positivity, generally involving 100% of cells, while all cases of microglandular hyperplasia were negative. Sixty-two percent of cases of tubo-endometrial metaplasia showed focal positivity, the remainder being negative. Cases of tubo-endometrial metaplasia were never diffusely positive with p16. In three cases of endometriosis there was staining of >50% of cells while the other cases were either focally positive or negative. CONCLUSIONS: A panel of antibodies, comprising MIB1, bcl2 and p16, is a useful adjunct to histology in distinguishing cervical glandular intraepithelial neoplasia from tubo-endometrial metaplasia, endometriosis and microglandular hyperplasia. Cases of cervical glandular intraepithelial neoplasia are diffusely positive for p16 and generally exhibit a high proliferation index with MIB1, while bcl2 is negative or, at most, focally positive. Tubo-endometrial metaplasia and endometriosis are characterized by strong diffuse positivity with bcl2 and a low proliferation index with MIB1 (although occasional cases of endometriosis show moderate proliferative activity). p16 is negative or exhibits focal positivity in tubo-endometrial metaplasia but in endometriosis there may be quite widespread positivity. Microglandular hyperplasia shows a low proliferation index with MIB1 and is negative for bcl2 and p16.     

Cervical adenocarcinoma with stromal micropapillary pattern

Adenocarcinoma with a stromal micropapillary pattern (SMP) has been described in various organs, but not in the uterus. We encountered a case of uterine cervical carcinoma with SMP. A54‐year‐old Japanese woman was referred to the hospital with abnormal vaginal bleeding. The cervical cytodiagnosis was adenocarcinoma with features resembling serous adenocarcinoma. Cervical cytology showed many small clusters of tumor cells, present in up to two or three layers, composed of atypical cells with markedly increased nucleus: cytoplasm ratios. A radical hysterectomy with bilateral adnexectomy and retroperitoneal lymph node dissection was performed. Microscopically, the tumor was composed predominantly of adenocarcinoma with SMP. The outer surface of the SMP cell clusters showed membranous expression of mucin‐1 (MUC‐1). Many lymph node metastases were detected. The tumor was diagnosed as a cervical adenocarcinoma with SMP and coexistent squamous cell carcinoma in situ. The pathology was classified as T1b1N1M1, stage IVB. The patient underwent postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy and is without local recurrence or distant metastasis 48 months after the operation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of cervical adenocarcinoma with SMP. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2016;44:133–136. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Prognostic significance of the infiltrative pattern invasion in endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the endometrium

The prognostic significance of the invasive type of carcinoma cells in endometrial carcinoma is not defined. We evaluated the prognostic significance of the invasive type, as well as the immunostains of p53, c-erbB-2, Ki-67 antigen and MDM2 in endometrial endometrioid adenocarcinoma. This prospective analysis comprised 112 patients with endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the uterine corpus who had undergone surgery and were traced for more than 5 years after the operation. They were divided into recurrence (16 patients) and non-recurrence (96 patients) groups. The invasive type of carcinoma cells was divided into expansile, mixed (expansile and infiltrative) and infiltrative pattern. The difference in the invasive type (P < 0.001) and p53 expression (P = 0.004) between the recurrence and non-recurrence groups was significant in the univariate analysis. Moreover, the invasive type was significant in the multivariate analysis (P = 0.004). In contrast, the difference in MDM2 expression, c-erbB-2 expression and the Ki-67 labeling index in both groups was not significant in the univariate analysis. The infiltrative pattern of the invasive type (P < 0.001) and p53 expression (P = 0.043) were significantly related to a poor prognosis in the Kaplan-Meier method using the log-rank test. In conclusion, the current study indicated that the infiltrative pattern of the carcinoma cells is a predictor for poor prognosis in endometrioid adenocarcinoma in the uterine corpus. It was also indicated that p53 immunostains are useful as a predictor, but Ki-67 antigen, c-erbB-2 and MDM2 stains are not.     

Endometrioid carcinoma arising from endometriosis of the sigmoid colon: A case report

A case of endometrioid carcinoma arising from endometriosis of the sigmoid colon is reported. The histogenesis of the endometriosis in this patient was thought to be artificial secondary implantation of the endometrial tissue into the invaded wall of the sigmoid colon from the ovarian endometriosis during an operative procedure.     

Papanicolaou tests associated with cervical mucosal endometriosis: An analysis of cellular features and comparison to endocervical adenocarcinoma in situ

Endometrium directly sampled from endocervical mucosal endometriosis can mimic endocervical adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) in Papanicolaou (Pap) tests. We analyzed a series of Pap tests to investigate the cellular features of mucosal endometriosis and to assess the utility of stroma and apoptotic bodies in the differential diagnosis with AIS. Pap test samples from patients known to have endocervical mucosal endometriosis were compared with samples containing AIS. Pap tests from patients with mucosal endometriosis had lesional cells in 13 (62%) cases which includes glandular and stromal cells (10 cases), stroma only (two cases), and glandular cells only (one case). Three (23%) cases had gland‐stromal aggregates. Three (23%) cases had mitotic figures and two (15%) had apoptotic bodies. By comparison, only one (8%) AIS case had endometrial‐type stroma. Seven (58%) AIS cases had apoptotic bodies and three (25%) had mitotic figures. We conclude that Pap tests from patients with mucosal endometriosis usually (62%) have lesional cells. These lesional cells almost always include stroma, which is useful in the differential diagnosis with AIS. We identified stroma significantly more often in endometriosis cases (92%) than in AIS cases (8%). Pathologists should look for endometrial stroma when considering an interpretation of directly sampled endometrium. In the absence of stroma, AIS should be considered. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2010;38:551–554. 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

A case of extensively spreading acinic cell carcinoma of the breast with microglandular features

Acinic cell carcinoma (ACC) is an exceptionally rare type of breast carcinoma with a low-grade morphology and a favorable prognosis. It is postulated to be a type of invasive carcinoma arising in microglandular adenosis (MGA). We report a case of extensively spreading ACC of the breast with MGA-like features. Macroscopically, yellowish nodules were widely distributed throughout the right breast, up to the axilla, without mass formation. Microscopically, the tumor consisted of two distinct carcinoma components: one was multiple nodular lesions showing invasive carcinoma with fused solid nests, and the other was a widely spreading lesion exhibiting MGA-like features with uniform small single glands. Immunohistochemically, both components were negative for ER, PR, and HER2, and expressed EMA, S100 and lysozyme. The distinct morphology and molecular expression indicated ACC. The single glands in the MGA-like area lacked myoepithelial cells but were linearly surrounded by type IV collagen, a basement membrane component. This case supports the hypothesis that ACC and MGA have the same lineage and indicates that ACC is not necessarily a low-grade malignancy and can be aggressive.     

宫颈不典型微腺性增生的临床病理特点及鉴别诊断

目的：探讨宫颈不典型微腺性增生（MGH）的临床病理特征及其鉴别诊断。方法：观察3例宫颈不典型MGH的临床病理特点,并进行组化和免疫组化染色分析。结果：病 年龄22－35岁,3例中1例为足月孕,1例已婚孕并有口服避孕药史。病人无明显症状而于查体时发现宫颈息肉样物,最大径不超过2cm,组织学特点为上皮细胞增生呈7实性片状和网状结构,细胞胞质嗜酸性,透明状或粘液样,少数呈印戒样,中度核异型,核分裂象0－1个／10HPF,可找到灶性典型的MGH。免疫组化染色CEA阴性,2例分别于1年和2年后情况良好。结论：宫颈不典型MGH是储备细胞增生向腺体分化不充分的形态表现,有必要熟悉此特殊类型及其相关病变,避免误诊和漏诊。     

Pulmonary adenocarcinoma with a micropapillary pattern: a clinicopathological, immunophenotypic and molecular analysis

Zhang J, Liang Z, Gao J, Luo Y & Liu T
(2011) Histopathology  59 , 1204–1214
Pulmonary adenocarcinoma with a micropapillary pattern: a clinicopathological, immunophenotypic and molecular analysis Aims: To investigate the clinicopathological and molecular characteristics, immunohistochemical profile and prognosis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma with a micropapillary pattern (MPPAC). Methods and results: Eight hundred and eighty‐six pulmonary adenocarcinomas were divided into two groups: micropapillary pattern (MPP)‐positive (≥1% MPP) (n = 246) and MPP‐negative (n = 640), and clinicopathological characteristics were analysed. Of these, 66 cases with extensive MPP (MPP ≥ 50%) were studied by immunohistochemistry for several markers, and mutational analysis of K‐ras and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) with the Scorpion Amplification Refractory Mutation System. Smoking, TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion, venous invasion, pleural invasion and differentiation grade were significantly associated with the prognosis of MPPAC (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemically, the positive rate in the MPP‐positive group was 100% for E‐cadherin, 100% for β‐catenin, 93.9% for Muc‐1, 57.6% for EGFR, 37.9% for p53, and 95.5% for Ki67. No differences were identified between MPP and non‐MPP tissue within the same tumour with regard to K‐ras and EGFR mutations. The 5‐year survival rates of patients were significantly different between the MPP‐positive group and the MPP‐negative group (P = 0.005). By multivariate analysis, a MPP was an independent prognostic factor for lung adenocarcinomas. Conclusions: MPP represents a distinct histopathological variant with biological and prognostic significance.     

Cribriform pattern in lung invasive adenocarcinoma correlates with poor prognosis in a Chinese cohort

The 2011 International　Association　for　the　Study　of　Lung　Cancer/American　Thoracic　Society/European　Respiratory　Society (IASLC/ATS/ERS) lung adenocarcinoma classification and the following 2015 WHO classification have both been validated for their predictive values of histologic subtypes for prognosis. We sought to investigate the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of the cribriform pattern in lung adenocarcinomas. Histologic subtypes were evaluated in 395 patients who underwent complete resection for invasive lung adenocarcinomas between 2011 and 2013. Cribriform pattern was correlated with clinicopathological factors as well as molecular and survival data. One hundred and thirty cases (33%) were present with cribriform pattern (5–100%; mean?±?SD, 24% ± 22%). Thirty two (8%) of those were reclassified into cribriform predominant tumors. Presence of cribriform pattern (≥5%) was significantly associated with lymph/vascular invasion (P＜0.001), nodal positivity (P = 0.003), higher T stage(P = 0.005) and higher TNM stage (P = 0.001). Cribriform pattern (≥10%) was highly associated with worse disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) (mean DFS: 42.6 months, P?<?0.001; mean OS: 64.1 months, P = 0.012). The DFS or OS for cribriform predominant tumors was similar to that for solid or micropapillary tumors. In multivariate analysis, cribriform pattern (≥10%) or cribriform predominant subtype was an independent predictor for DFS. Cribriform pattern was a specific pattern compared to other acinar patterns, presenting with more aggressive behavior. Moreover, presence of cribriform pattern was a strong predictor for worse prognosis and should be considered a high grade pattern. Our study provides further evidence for cribriform pattern to be acknowledged as an independent subtype in the future classification.     

A case of ovarian endometrioid adenocarcinoma with yolk sac tumor component in a postmenopausal woman

The co-existence of an endometrioid adenocarcinoma with an ovarian yolk sac tumor is very rare. Only eight cases have been reported in the English language literature. A 54-year-old postmenopausal woman with a 6-month history of progressive abdominal distension was seen at our hospital. MR imaging revealed a large cyst with a solid intramural node. Serum alpha-fetoprotein and CA125 levels were 13143 ng/ml and 170 U/ml, respectively. At laparotomy, a large tumor approximately 20 cm in diameter was found to occupy the abdominal cavity, adhering to the swollen appendix and part of the omentum. Microscopically, foci of endometrioid adenocarcinoma together with a yolk sac tumor component were observed within a large endometriotic cyst. Since the tumor was clinically staged 1c, the patient was given 500 mg of intraperitoneal carboplatin postoperatively, followed by five courses of combination chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin, etoposide and peplomycin at 4-week intervals. The levels of both serum alpha-fetoprotein and CA 125 decreased gradually to normal ranges and remained normal at the most recent follow-up on 29 December, 2001. In contrast to a very poor prognosis of this tumor in previously reported cases, our patient showed no sign of recurrence during a 21-month follow-up period.