title: Glassy cell carcinoma of the endometrium: a case report and review of the literature.
abstract: Glassy cell carcinomas are composed of malignant cells showing a "ground glass" cytoplasm, distinct cell membranes, and large nuclei with prominent nucleoli. To our knowledge, only 12 cases of glassy cell endometrial carcinomas (EGCC) have been reported until now. A 63-year-old patient complaining of irregular vaginal bleeding underwent hysteroscopy-guided biopsy revealing a well-differentiated endometrial endometrioid adenocarcinoma. The patient underwent left salpingo-oophorectomy, total abdominal hysterectomy, and pelvic lymphadenectomy. The final diagnosis was FIGO stage IB poorly differentiated endometrial adenosquamous carcinoma with > 90% of glassy tumor cells. The patient is alive, with no evidence of disease for 69 months after diagnosis. We describe an additional case of EGCC and review the data of the literature, emphasizing the need to strictly define the criteria for the diagnosis and the potential usefulness of assessing biologic parameters for the prognostic characterization of this rare entity.
authors.affiliation: Gynecologic Oncology Unit, Catholic University, L.go A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy. gabriella.ferrandina@libero.it
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferrandina
authors.forename: Gian Franco
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Zannoni
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petrillo
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vellone
authors.forename: Enrica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scambia
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000473:pathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D014592:Uterine Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology