title: Assessing adequacy of cervical core specimens from extirpated uteri: implications for laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy with transcervical coring.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the histopathologic adequacy of cervical specimens after ex vivo excision of the cervical canal with cervical coring.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive study (Canadian Task Force classification III).
  
  
  METHODS
  Community medical center with university affiliation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Endocervical coring.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eleven cervical core samples from hysterectomy specimens were evaluated. Cervical coring was performed using classic intrafascial supracervical hysterectomy instruments: 15 mm for 6 specimens and 20 mm for 5 specimens. Mean patient age was 49 years, and median (range) parity was 2 (0-3). Three patients (27.3%) were postmenopausal. In most patients (72.7%) leiomyomas and abnormal uterine bleeding was the indication for hysterectomy, and 3 patients (23.3%) had uterovaginal prolapse. The most common cervical pathologic diagnosis was chronic cystic cervicitis (72.7%). Histopathologic presence of the entire cervical transformation zone was present in all 11 cervical core samples. Endocervical glands were absent in the radial margins of all samples. Endometrial glands were absent in the radial margins in 7 samples (63.6%). There was no statistically significant difference in age, parity, cervical remnant, and cervical core dimensions between both core sizes (p > .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cervical coring to remove the endocervical canal during hysterectomy resulted in adequate removal of endocervical glands and endometrial glands in most cases, using either the 15-mm or 20-mm classic intrafascial supracervical hysterectomy instrument.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Urogynecology, Mount Auburn Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Electronic address: amosadelowo@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Amos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adelowo
authors.affiliation: Pathology, Mount Auburn Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Brinda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kamat
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Urogynecology, Mount Auburn Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Disciullo
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Urogynecology, Mount Auburn Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rosenblatt
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000517:prevention & control; D000328:Adult; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000601:surgery*; D019092:Conization / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D014591:Uterine Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D014592:Uterine Hemorrhage / Q000517:prevention & control
keywords: Cervical core; Cervical transformation zone; Endocervical glands; Endometrial glands