Pathology of the uterine corpus

Abstract

This contribution summarizes recent advances in the pathology of the uterine corpus. Considerable new information has accumulated regarding the endometrial metaplasias, including their distinction from endometrial hyperplasias and carcinomas. A variety of recent studies have focused on the difficult differential diagnosis of atypical endometrial hyperplasia and grade 1 endometrial adenocarcinoma, while others have added to our knowledge of the variety of histologic subtypes of endometrial adenocarcinoma. Criteria for malignancy in uterine smooth muscle tumors have undergone considerable refinement over the past two decades, and there have been new observations regarding the subclassification of endometrial stromal tumors. Finally, several benign and low-grade tumors with mixed epithelial and mesenchymal elements have been described during the past 15 years, expanding the group of milllerian mixed tumors. ciated carcinomas were more frequently well differentiated.g Less commonly, the glands lined by metaplastic epithelium exhibit architectural or cytologic atypia. or both.’ As the premalignant potential of such lesions is not yet known with certainty, their current management should be similar to that of a nonmetaplastic lesion with a corresponding degree of architectural and cytologic atypia.’ Certain subtypes of endometrial carcinomas are composed of metaplastic cells. as discussed later in this review.