title: Detection of endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia (EIN) in postmenopausal endometrium.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To detect the presence of endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia (EIN) in the endometrium of postmenopausal patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-three postmenopausal patients with endometrial polyps (n=48), hyperplasia (n=12) and endometrioid carcinoma (n=3) were enrolled for this study. The diagnosis of EIN was made by using morphological criteria and immunohistochemical methods for detection of PTEN and bcl-2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EIN lesions were found in cases of endometrial polyp (n=1), atrophic endometrium (n=1) and in hyperplasia (n=1). The glands were packed, showed cytological atypia and were negative for both PTEN and bcl-2. Three patients with endometrial hyperplasia had isolated PTEN-negative glands but they were still bcl-2 positive.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of immunohistochemical methods helps detect the presence of EIN in the postmenopausal endometrium but does not substitute the morphological criteria for this diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Endoscopy Unit, CEPARH, Rua Caetano Moura, 35 Salvador, 40210-341 Bahia, Brazil. ceparh@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maia
authors.forename: Amélia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maltez
authors.forename: Célia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Athayde
authors.forename: Genevieve
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.forename: Elsimar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Coutinho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D004714:Endometrial Hyperplasia; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D019254:Genes, bcl-2; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017698:Postmenopause; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; C494929:PTEN protein, human