Coexisting endometrial cancer in patients with a preoperative diagnosis of atypical endometrial hyperplasia.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the possibility of coexisting endometrial cancer (EC) in patients with atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH).


METHODS
Forty-six consecutive women who underwent hysterectomy for AEH were analyzed.


RESULTS
Final histopathological evaluation of hysterectomy specimens revealed EC in 11 patients (23.9%). Preoperative diagnosis of AEH was established by pipelle biopsy in eight patients and curettage was performed in the remaining patients. Of the patients with pipelle biopsy, two had a diagnosis of EC (25%), whereas nine women who underwent curettage, were further diagnosed as having EC (23.7%) (P > 0.05). Four (13.3%) of 30 women who had frozen sections at hysterectomy, were diagnosed with EC. Diagnosis of EC was missed in two patients (50%) at frozen section. In contrast, seven of 16 women (43.7%) who did not have frozen section, had EC.


CONCLUSIONS
A relatively high incidence of EC is seen in patients with a diagnosis of AEH. Diagnostic results of pipelle biopsy and curettage were comparable. Frozen sections of hysterectomy specimens does not guarantee to exclude the possibility of EC, especially in patients with no myometrial invasion.
Bilgin
Tufan
T
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey. tbilgin@uludag.edu.tr
Ozuysal
Sema
S
Ozan
Hakan
H
Atakan
Türkan
T
D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D015897:Comorbidity; D004714:Endometrial Hyperplasia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D015994:Incidence; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology