Primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the uterus. A case report.
BACKGROUND
Primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs) of the uterus are very rare. Even preoperative curettage specimen morphology does not permit establishing a proper histogenetic diagnosis.


METHODS
A 16-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital because of metrorrhagia of three months' duration. The curettage specimen was interpreted as poorly differentiated sarcoma. The patient was operated on, and a total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with omentectomy was performed. Histologically the tumor was composed of uniform, rounded, oval and sometimes spindle shaped cells with a narrow rim of eosinophilic cytoplasm. The cells were positive for neurogenic marker protein gene product, neuron-specific enolase and Ewing's sarcoma-related HBA-71. All cells were uniformly negative for Ber EP4 monoclonal antibody recognizing an epithelium-specific surface antigen. A diagnosis of PNET was rendered. The patient received combined therapy, external radiation to the pelvis and chemotherapy. Four years later she was alive, without signs of recurrent tumor.


CONCLUSIONS
In spite of the generally recognized aggressive behavior of PNET, it can have a long disease-free survival rate when appropriately treated.
Karseladze
A I
AI
Department of Pathology, Cancer Research Centre, Moscow, Russia.
Filipova
N A
NA
Navarro
S
S
Llombart-Bosch
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018241:Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive, Peripheral / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery
D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm