Hysteroscopic Morcellation in Endometrial Cancer Diagnosis: Increased Risk?

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Operative hysteroscopy requires elevated intrauterine pressures, which could lead to the spread of malignant cells into the peritoneal cavity. Currently, there is a paucity of data analyzing clinical outcomes in endometrial cancer after hysteroscopic morcellation with newer equipment. In this study, we sought to determine whether there are increased rates of positive peritoneal cytology, lymphovascular space invasion, or surgical upstaging in patients undergoing hysteroscopic morcellation compared with alternative endometrial biopsy methods. DESIGN: A retrospective chart review of patients from 2013-2018 was performed. The exclusion criteria included biopsy at outside institution, stage IV endometrial cancer known before biopsy, and missing data regarding biopsy method and histology. Peritoneal cytology results, lymphovascular space invasion, and surgical staging were compared by method of biopsy and histology using chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests. SETTING: The patients included in this study were accrued from the Karmanos Cancer Insittute in Detroit, Michigan. PATIENTS: A total of 289 patients met the inclusion criteria: 184 patients were classified as low-grade (Fédération Internationale de Gynécologie et d'Obstétrique grades 1 and 2) and 105 as high-grade (Fédération Internationale de Gynécologie et d'Obstétrique grade 3, serous, clear cell, and carcinosarcoma) endometrial cancer. INTERVENTIONS: Fifty-three patients (18%) underwent hysteroscopy with morcellation. Alternative biopsy methods included hysteroscopy without morcellation, n = 81 (28%); endometrial biopsy, n = 112 (38.7%); and dilation and curettage, n = 43 (15%). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Positive peritoneal cytology was noted in 34 cases (12%) and negative cytology in 165 (57%). Cytology was not performed in 90 cases (31%). When comparing outcomes by histologic subtypes, no difference was seen in peritoneal cytology (p = .704 and .727 for low grade and high grade, respectively), stage (p = .773 and .053 for low grade and high grade, respectively) or lymphovascular space invasion (p = .400 and .142 for low grade and high grade, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that hysteroscopy with morcellation is a safe diagnostic method for low- and high-grade endometrial pathologic conditions and does not lead to increased dissemination of malignant cells, lymphovascular space invasion, or upstaging of patients.

The association of HBB-related significant hemoglobinopathies and low fetal fraction on noninvasive prenatal screening for fetal aneuploidy.

OBJECTIVES: HBB-related significant hemoglobinopathies have been anecdotally associated with low fetal fraction on noninvasive prenatal screening (NIPS). We sought to compare the difference in fetal fraction using NIPS in women with HBB-related significant hemoglobinopathies (HSH) and women with normal hemoglobin. STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective case-control study. Cases were women with a diagnosis of HSH using NIPS from a commercial laboratory. The comparison group was women with hemoglobin AA from a tertiary care center database. We tested for differences in median fetal fraction using quantile regression analysis, adjusting for maternal body weight and gestational age. RESULTS: This study includes 35 women with clinically significant HSH and a comparison group of 636 women with hemoglobin AA. Adjusting for gestational age and body weight, the median fetal fraction was 4.1 point lower in the HSH than in the comparison group (ß - 4.1; 95% -5.7 to -2.5, p < .05). The rate of no-calls due to low fetal fraction was significantly higher in the clinically significant HSH group than in the comparison group [HSH: n = 9/35, 25.7% versus comparison: n = 32/636, 5.0% (p < .001)]. CONCLUSION: Women with HSH were more likely to have a lower fetal fraction and ultimately a five-fold higher no-call rate. What's already known about this topic?Low fetal fraction is one of the most common causes of no-call result in noninvasive prenatal screeningHigh maternal weight, early gestational age and fetal aneuploidies are associated with low fetal fraction What does this study add?HBB-related significant hemoglobinopathies are associated with low fetal fractionReduction in fetal fraction due to HBB-related significant hemoglobinopathies may also result in higher no-call rate.