Grossly unremarkable cervix in endometrial carcinomas: lymphovascular space invasion and microcystic elongated and fragmented pattern may be associated with high incidence of cervical stromal involvement

Abstract

Accurate staging of endometrial carcinoma is crucial to optimize patients' care. A pivotal parameter that pathologists evaluate to guide staging is the presence of cervical stromal involvement. However, the standard protocol for adequate sampling of the cervix is lacking. A total of 71 grossly unremarkable cervices in hysterectomy specimens with endometrial carcinomas have been studied. Sixty-three (89.7%), five (7.0%), and three (4.2%) were FIGO stage I, II, and III, respectively. Of 71 (8.5%) cases, 6 cases had cervical stromal involvement, among which, 4 (67%) showed endometrioid carcinoma (EC), 1 case of serous carcinoma, and 1 carcinosarcoma. Microcystic elongated and fragmented (MELF) pattern was identified in 12 (16.9%) cases, among which 11 were EC. The presence of MELF pattern was associated with advanced age, deeper myometrial invasion, and advanced FIGO stage. Tumors with lower uterine segment involvement (5/6; 80%), lymphovascular space invasion (4/6; 67%), and MELF pattern (3/6; 50.0%) tended to have cervical stromal involvement. Thus, we provide evidence that the presence of these features in hysterectomy specimens from patients with endometrial carcinoma may warrant extended sampling of the cervix while submitting four representative sections (one section from each quadrant) seems adequate to evaluate for occult cervical stromal involvement in grossly unremarkable cervices in the absence of these features.