Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma Arising from Endometrial Polyp: A Case Report.

Endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) is a rare malignant tumor of the uterus. We report an uncommon case of ESS composed of both low-grade ESS and high-grade ESS arising from an endometrial polyp. On the findings of magnetic resonance imaging and contrast computed tomography, a patient was suspected of having uterine malignant tumor. She underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Macroscopically, the tumor was a polypoid lesion in the uterine cavity. The tumor was an endometrial polyp with ESS components. ESS was composed of low-grade ESS and high-grade ESS. By immunohistochemistry, both an endometrial polyp and low-grade ESS showed a positivity for CD10, estrogen receptor (ER), and progesterone receptor (PR). However, high-grade ESS showed only a focal and weak CD10 positivity with no immunostaining for ER and PR. A focal or diffuse positivity for α-smooth muscle actin and desmin was noted in both low-grade and high-grade ESS. The positive rates of Ki-67 and p53 in high-grade ESS were elevated up to over 95%. She was diagnosed as having ESS in a stage IA. After surgery, she received no further treatment. She has been without recurrence for 4 years since an initial surgery. In conclusion, immunohistochemical analyses are useful for make an accurate diagnosis of ESS showing a transition from low-grade ESS to high-grade ESS in addition to the conventional method.

Aggressive Granulosa Cell Tumor of the Ovary with Rapid Recurrence: a Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Aggressive adult granulosa cell tumor (AGCT) of the ovary remains uncommon. We report a case of aggressive AGCT of the ovary who had rapid recurrence at two months after surgery. A patient was referred for further examination of a pelvic tumor. She underwent total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and pelvic lymphadenectomy. In the areas showing a sarcomatoid pattern, the mitotic count were 25/10 HPFs, and the mitoses were most prominent in foci composed of pleomorphic cells with enlarged and bizarre nuclei. In some areas, tumor cells with relatively uniform nuclei proliferated in a trabecular pattern. The mitotic count was 4/10 HPFs. Tumor cells were diffusely positive for α-inhibin. She was diagnosed as having aggressive AGCT. The Ki-67 labeling index in the sarcomatoid AGCT was higher (40%) than that in the areas of typical AGCT (3%). Immunostaining for p53 in the sarcomatoid AGCT was almost strongly positive, but that in typical AGCT was negative. Two months later after the initial surgery, a recurrent abdominal 12 cm-sized mass developed after performing adjuvant chemotherapy consisting of paclitaxel and carboplatin. She died of the disease at 3 months after initial surgery. A markedly higher mitotic count, a higher Ki-67 labeling index, and strong immunoreactivity of p53 in AGCT suggests highly malignant potential. In such a case, a careful follow-up is warranted due to the possibility of rapid recurrence.

Coexistence of endometrioid adenocarcinoma in atypical polypoid adenomyoma.

Atypical polypoid adenomyoma (APA) is a rare polypoid tumor of the uterus composed of atypical endometrial glands and smooth muscle cells. Concomitant development of endometrial adenocarcinoma in APA remains infrequent. We report a case of the coexistence of endometrioid adenocarcinoma in APA. A 41-year-old patient presented with abnormal genital bleeding. A polypoid mass was extruded from the external cervical os. She underwent transcervical resection of the polypoid mass arising from the lower uterine segment. Pathological examination revealed APA with the foci of well-differentiated endometrioid adenocarcinoma. Subsequently, she underwent total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. No residual malignant lesions were found. Awareness of the close association of APA with the development of endometrial cancer is warranted. A meticulous pathological evaluation of specimen of APA is necessary for the detection of the coexistence of endometrial cancer.

A large retroperitoneal cystic venous malformation mimicking bilateral ovarian cystic tumors.

INTRODUCTION: Retroperitoneal cysts are a rare disease. Most retroperitoneal cysts of vascular origin have been reported as hemangiomas. However, according to the recent classification of vascular anomalies accepted by the International Society for Study of Vascular Anomalies (ISSVA), these previously reported retroperitoneal hemangiomas should rather have been classified as vascular malformations. CASE REPORT: A 65-year-old woman visited our hospital complaining of a sense of unexplained abdominal fullness. Magnetic resonance imaging suggested a uterine leiomyoma and bilateral ovarian cystic tumors. However, abdominal surgery revealed normal bilateral ovaries, but huge cystic masses in the retroperitoneum. Postoperative histological diagnosis of the retroperitoneal cysts demonstrated that they were venous malformations. CONCLUSION: This is a rare case in which large cystic retroperitoneal venous malformations were preoperatively diagnosed as ovarian cystic tumors. Retroperitoneal hemangiomas should be renamed as vascular malformations following the ISSVA classification.

Antitumor effects of novel shorter truncated insulin-like growth factor I receptors.

We generated novel truncated insulin-like growth factor I receptors (IGF-IRs) designated as 126/STOP, 223/STOP and 325/STOP in order to establish shorter soluble IGF-IRs than previously reported 486/STOP without abrogating the same antitumor effects. Stable transfection of 223/STOP and 325/STOP, but not 126/STOP caused inhibition of anchorage-independent growth of CaOV-3 ovarian cancer cells in vitro. This antitumor effect was reproduced when we used recombinant proteins of these constructs, suggesting a bystander effect of these shorter truncated IGF-IRs. Tumorigenesis in vivo of CaOV-3 cells tranfected with 223/STOP or 325/STOP was strictly inhibited, and inoculation of these cells in nude mice caused massive apoptosis exclusively in vivo. Phosphorylations of IGF-IR and Akt, but not Erk were attenuated in 223/STOP- or 325/STOP-transfected CaOV-3 cells, and downregulations of IGF-IR and Akt phosphorylation seemed to play at least a partial role in the anti-tumor effect of these novel truncated IGF-IRs. Since 223/STOP and 325/STOP are smaller in size than previously reported 486/STOP, and they retain the same antitumor effects, they could be good candidates for clinical application in the future.

Immunohistochemical evaluation of insulin-like growth factor I receptor status in cervical cancer specimens.

The insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGF-IR) is exceptionally overexpressed in many cervical-cancer-derived cell lines. It is postulated that a decrease of p53 protein levels due to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection may contribute to the up-regulation of IGF-IR expression in cervical cancer cells because transcription of IGF-IR is strictly down-regulated by p53. To evaluate this fact in clinical cervical cancer specimens, we checked the expression levels and activated status of IGF-IR by immunohistochemistry. Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded specimens obtained by conization or hysterectomy were stained with anti-IGF-IR and with an antibody recognizing phosphorylated tyrosine at its c-terminus. The expression levels of IGF-IR were significantly high in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) III and invasive cancer specimens. Phosphorylation of IGF-IR was promoted in all CIN and invasive cancer specimens, and its intensity was related to the promotion of lesions. Interestingly, IGF-IR overexpression was missing in the basal layer of CIN I and II lesions, whereas it was evenly distributed in CIN III and invasive cancer lesions. This IGF-IR overexpression pattern may be utilized in the diagnosis of HPV infection status in CIN lesions.

Efficacy and prognostic implications of administering adjuvant chemotherapy to patients with endometrial cancer that is confined to the uterus.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the value of prognostic factors and to assess the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with endometrial cancer confined to the uterus. STUDY DESIGN: Patients surgically stage IB, IC and II endometrial cancer according to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics were enrolled in this study. Stage IIIA tumors with positive peritoneal cytology, in the absence of other evidence of extra uterine disease, were also included. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-seven patients fulfilled the eligibility criteria and 58 patients (34.7%) underwent combination chemotherapy. Disease recurrence occurred in 10 patients within a median time of 17 months. Histologic grade 3 was an independent prognostic factor for both disease-free and overall survival rates. Fourteen of 23 patients with histologic grade 3 tumors received adjuvant chemotherapy consisting of cyclophosphamide (or etoposide), epirubicin and cisplatin (in 1989-1999) or paclitaxel, pirarubicin and carboplatin (in 2000-2002). The 5-year disease-free and overall survival rates for these individuals was 92.3%, a value significantly higher than those in patients who had not undergone chemotherapy (50.0%). CONCLUSIONS: Histologic grade of 3 is an independent prognostic marker in patients with endometrial cancer confined to the uterus and adjuvant chemotherapy might improve the survival rates in these patients.

Risk factors for early and late postoperative complications of patients with endometrial cancer.

OBJECTIVE: We have routinely performed staging with pelvic and/or paraaortic lymphadenectomy in patients with endometrial cancer having moderate to high risk for lymph node metastasis. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors for the occurrence of early and late postoperative complications in patients managed primarily by surgery in our institution. STUDY DESIGN: Two-hundred and fifty-nine consecutive cases of endometrial cancer were enrolled in the study. Past history, body mass index, type of surgery, intraoperative findings, and follow-up information were collected from patient charts. Of these, 200, 127, and 30 patients underwent systematic pelvic lymphadenectomy, systematic paraaortic lymphadenectomy, and radical hysterectomy, respectively. The median numbers of dissected pelvic and paraaortic lymph nodes were 32 and 14, respectively. RESULTS: None of the complications resulted in death. Of the study population, 36 early complications and 34 late complications occurred. Overall 65 patients (25.1%) had at least one complication. Multivariate analysis revealed that a longer operative time and paraaortic lymphadenectomy were independent predictors for the occurrence of early and late postoperative complications, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Since the therapeutic value of lymphadenectomy is still under evaluation, the indications for systematic pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy should be carefully considered.