Comparison of endometrial biopsy and postoperative hysterectomy specimen findings in patients with atypical endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the concordance between the preoperative endometrial sampling and microscopic examination of the hysterectomy specimens in patients surgically treated for atypical endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial carcinoma.

Material and methods: We analysed a group of 204 patients, of whom 160 (78.43%) underwent surgical treatment for cancer of the corpus uteri and 44 (21.57%) for atypical endometrial hyperplasia. The preoperative diagnosis was based on the histological examination of endocervical and endometrial samples obtained by fractional curettage and it was compared to the histological findings at hysterectomy. The comparison was made for the basic diagnosis, the histological type of the cancer and the grade of tumour differentiation.

Results: When the histological types of cancer diagnosed in endometrial curettage and hysterectomy specimens were com­pared, the concordance was observed in 134/160 patients (83.75%). The highest concordance was found for endometrioid carcinoma (127/148 patients, 85.81%). The grade of tumour differentiation was accurate in 69.31% of patients. The highest concordance was for moderately differentiated carcinomas. Of 44 patients who underwent surgical treatment for atypical endometrial hyperplasia, the preoperative diagnosis was confirmed by the postoperative histopathological examination in 21 patients (47.73%). In 15 patients (34.09%) endometrial cancer was diagnosed at hysterectomy.

Conclusions: In endometrial cancer our findings demonstrate a high level of concordance between the histological diagnosis on endometrial curettage and at hysterectomy. Own observations have confirmed that over 30% of patients undergoing surgical treatment for atypical endometrial hyperplasia have concurrent endometrial cancer which is determined by surgery.