Correlation between pre-operative diagnosis and final pathological diagnosis of endometrial malignancies; impact on primary surgical treatment.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: to compare the accuracy of preoperative and postoperative endometrial sampling obtained by dilatation and curettage (D&C), Pipelle and hysteroscopy to diagnose endometrial malignancies and to evaluate the adequacy of surgical treatment for these patients. STUDY DESIGN: This retrospective record-based study was conducted at Gynecology Oncology Unit, Ain Shams University Maternity Hospital, Cairo, Egypt. Records of patients with an initial preoperative or a final postoperative pathological diagnosis of endometrial hyperplasia or endometrial malignancies were retrieved over a six year period from January 2013 until March 2019. The preoperative biopsy methods, results, postoperative pathology diagnosis and treatment received were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: Records of 395 patients were retrieved. Rates of agreement between initial and postoperative pathology for endometrial hyperplasia (with and without atypia) were 10% by D&C, 7.8% by Pipelle and zero % by hysteroscopy; for endometrioid adenocarcinoma grade 1, they were 40.7% by D&C, 40.6% by Pipelle and 20% by hysteroscopy; for endometrioid adenocarcinoma grades 2 and 3, they were 83.7% and 84.6% by D&C, 97% and 60% by Pipelle, and 100% by hysteroscopy, respectively. For type II endometrial cancer and endometrial stromal sarcoma, agreement rates were 100% by all biopsy methods. Out of 13 cases diagnosed with atrophic endometrium preoperatively, 11 cases were diagnosed as endometrial stromal sarcoma. Comparing accuracy of the three biopsy methods, D&C had highest sensitivity of 61.9%; hysteroscopy showed 100% specificity, while Pipelle was the least accurate method. Finally, 61.4% of the patients received adequate surgical treatment. CONCLUSION: There were excellent concordance rates between initial biopsy and postoperative pathology in diagnosis of high grade endometrioid and other endometrial malignancies compared to endometrial hyperplasia and low grade endometrioid adenocarcinoma. Patients diagnosed initially with atrophic endometrium or hyperplasia warranted more surveillance before their surgical treatment. It is crucial to develop protocols for increasing accuracy of endometrial sampling such as performing molecular studies for preoperative pathology.