Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor of the Uterus

Urinary cytologic features of primitive neuroectodermal tumor primarily involving the kidney: A case report

Renal primitive neuroectodermal tumor(rPNET) is an extremely rare and distinct entity that can be mistaken for a variety of other round cell tumors. Findings from fine needle aspiration cytology have been reported, but there have been no reports of PNET cytomorphological features in urine cytology specimen. Here, we report a case of PNET characterized by urine cytology. A 24-year-old girl presented with hematuria for half a month. Computed tomography showed a large tumor involving the upper pole of the right kidney. Urinary cytology exhibited highly cellular clusters composed of small, round, atypical cells with little cytoplasm and a high nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio. Following a right nephrectomy, the biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of rPNET. Additionally, immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining of the decolorized liquid-based cytology slide was positive for CD99, further confirming the diagnosis through urine cytology. Our observations suggest that urinary cytology in combination with cytological morphology and immunocytochemistry may be a potentially useful method for the detection of PNET.

Ovarian primary primitive neuroectodermal tumor: a review of cases at PUMCH and in the published literature

Background

The pathological characteristics, treatment strategies and prognosis of ovarian primary primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) were unclear due to the rarity of PNET. All cases treated at Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) between 1975 and 2016 and published in the English literature between 1980 to 2017 were reviewed.

Results

Finally four cases from PUMCH and 15 cases in the literature were included. The median age was 25 years (range 13–79), and the median diameter of the tumors was 13.4 cm (range 5.0–30.0). The most common initial symptoms were abdominal pain, bloating and a pelvic mass. Diagnosis primarily depended on immunohistochemical and fluorescence in situ hybridization data. Treatment consisted of surgery, various chemotherapy regimens and/or radiotherapy. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 15 and 52%, respectively. For patients with OS and PFS > 12 months, the median ages were 21 years (range 13–35) and 17 years (range 13–35), respectively, while for patients with OS < 12 months and PFS < 12 months, the median ages were 48 years (range 14–79) and 25 years (range 18–79), respectively.

Conclusions

No standard therapy for ovarian primary PNET exists, and an individualized strategy is recommended. Young patients seem to have better prognoses.

Adjuvant chemotherapy for a primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the uterine corpus: A case report and literature review

A primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PENT) belongs to the category of a Ewing sarcoma. A PENT of the uterus is rare and has been known to be very aggressive by nature. Owing to the rarity of the tumor, there is no optimal treatment at present. In many cases, after hysterectomy, chemotherapy or radiation therapy has been performed. However, an effective chemotherapy regimen was unclear. In the soft tissue sarcoma area, the chemotherapy approach has recently greatly improved. Vincristine, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide and etoposide (VDC-IE) therapy has improved the survival rate of patients with Ewing sarcoma/PENT. Thus, VDC-IE therapy may be used for a uterine PENT. Here, we report a case of a uterine PENT in a premenopausal woman successfully treated with multimodality treatment including VDC-IE therapy and discuss the optimal chemotherapy for a uterine PENT through a literature review.

Uterine corpus tumor with neuroectodermal differentiation and frequent ganglion-like cells in a postmenopausal woman

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Uterine neuroectodermal tumors (NETs) are uncommon malignant neoplasm with poor prognosis.

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Ganglion-like cells with fibrillary background as major component of uterine NETs are extremely rare.

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We present a patient affected by uterine NET with frequent ganglion-like cells, resembling ganglioneuroblastoma.

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This case report is important to define the pathogenesis and establish better treatments for neuroectodermal tumors.

Clinical management of a unique case of PNET of the uterus during pregnancy, and review of the literature

RATIONALE

PNETs (primitive neuroectodermal tumors) are a family of highly malignant neoplasms characterized by small round cells of neuroepithelial origin. They usually involve bone and soft tissues, and have a higher incidence in childhood.

PATIENT CONCERNS

In this case report, we describe the obstetric and oncological outcome of a huge mass diagnosed as a leiomyoma in a 39-year-old pregnant woman who complained of low back pain, dysuria, and urinary frequency at 22 weeks of gestation.

DIAGNOSES

During the 25th week of pregnancy, the patient was referred to our hospital at night with severe anemia and suspected hemoperitoneum. She underwent an emergency caesarean section, delivering a female fetus weighing 400 g, with an Apgar score of 7 at 1 minute and 9 at 5 minutes.

INTERVENTION

During surgery, we found a huge uterine sarcoma-like metastatic tumor, invading the pelvic peritoneum and parametria bilaterally; the adnexae seemed disease-free. We performed a type B radical hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, pelvic peritonectomy, omentectomy, appendectomy, and excision of a bulky lymph node. Seven days after delivery, staging computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrated a large lombo-aortic lymph node compressing the left renal vein and we completed debulking with a second surgery, including diaphragmatic peritonectomy and excision of a huge lymph node by lombo-aortic lymphadenectomy, requiring partial reconstruction of an infiltrated renal vein.

OUTCOME

Ten days after the second surgery, echo-color Doppler showed a regular microcirculation in the left kidney. The patient was discharged after 10 days, and the baby after 1 month, both in good health.Histological examination revealed a uterine body cPNET (central primitive neuroectodermal tumor) orienting the clinical management toward chemotherapy with cisplatin and etoposide.

LESSONS

PNETs are aggressive neoplasms, usually diagnosed at an advanced stage. Due to their low incidence, universally accepted guidelines are still unavailable. Radical surgery leaving no macroscopic residual disease is mandatory in advanced stages. A good fertility-sparing procedure can be performed only in young women at early stages of disease, when the wish for childbearing is not yet fulfilled.

Primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the uterus

•PNET of the uterus is rare and requires early diagnoses and treatment.•Molecular analysis is important to distinguish it from other tumors.•Different combinations of adjuvant chemotherapy have been report.

Central-type primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the uterus: Case report of remission of stage IV disease using adjuvant cisplatin/etoposide/bevacizumab chemotherapy and review of the literature

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Bevacizumab was an effective agent in one case of advanced uterine PNET.

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VEGF was expressed by the tumor, supporting a mechanism for effectiveness.

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Cisplatin/etoposide/bevacizumab should be further studied in clinical trials.

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Patient remains disease-free forty-eight months following intervention.

Primitive uterine neuroectodermal tumours: Two case reports

Primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) arise from Kulchitsky cells and are rarely seen in the female genital tract. Differential diagnosis of PNET can be made based on immunohistochemical profiles and genetic analyses. Genital tract pNETs are very aggressive pathologies with different clinical and molecular manifestations and there are no standard guidelines for treatment. We aimed to present two cases of uterine PNETs with different symptomatology and clinical findings.

Heterologous and rare homologous sarcomas of the uterine corpus: a clinicopathologic review

Pure sarcomas of the uterine corpus are uncommon, constituting less than 3% of all malignancies at this site, and most of them are leiomyosarcomas and endometrial stromal sarcomas. Rare histotypes of homologous sarcomas and heterologous sarcomas are occasionally encountered, and the absence of significant accumulated experience with these histotypes at this location may potentially raise diagnostic and patient management difficulties. In this article, the clinicopathologic attributes of all earlier reported sarcomas of the uterine corpus other than leiomyosarcomas and endometrial stromal sarcomas are summarized. Included are embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma, angiosarcoma, alveolar soft part sarcoma, malignant perivascular epithelioid cell tumors (PEComas), osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, liposarcomatous tumors, malignant extrarenal rhabdoid tumors, Ewing sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumor, and other rare histotypes. Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (20%), Ewing sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumor (17%), angiosarcoma (14%), and pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma (13%) appeared to be more common than the others, although there was no single overwhelmingly prevalent histotype in the group. A subset, including embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, alveolar soft part sarcoma, and PEComas, peak in the premenopausal years, but most of the others were observed in postmenopausal women. Favorable outcomes have been reported for the patients diagnosed with alveolar soft part sarcoma, and the prognosis for their counterparts with PEComa remains a matter of debate. Multimodal therapeutic approaches to contemporary patients with embryonal rhabdomyosarcomas have resulted in significantly improved outcomes. Unfortunately, most of the other sarcomas have been associated with rapid tumor progression and unfavorable patient outcomes. The differential diagnosis for these sarcomas is often extensive and varies by histotype, but their accurate diagnosis fundamentally requires the careful exclusion of biphasic malignancies.

Ewing sarcoma-primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the uterus: a clinicopathologic, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural study of one case

INTRODUCTION

Ewing sarcoma-primitive neuroectodermal tumors (ES/PNET) constitute a family of neoplasms characterized by a continuum of neuroectodermal differentiation. ES/PNET of the uterus is rare. There are 43 cases published in the English literature as far as we know. We describe an additional case.

CASE REPORT

A 56-year-old woman presented with a 2-month history of irregular menopausal vaginal bleeding. After surgical excision, microscopic, immunohistochemical and electron microscopic examination suggested the diagnosis of ES/PNET. The patient underwent combined chemotherapy consisting of ifosfamide, etoposide, and cisplatin. She was alive with no evidence of recurrence or metastasis after 41 months of the initial operation.

DISCUSSION

In spite of the rarity of ES/PNET, we should consider it in the differential diagnosis of small cell neoplasms of the uterus.

Endometrial endometrioid adenocarcinoma associated with primitive neuroectodermal tumour of the uterus: a poor prognostic subtype of uterine tumours

Uterine primitive neuroectodermal tumours are extremely rare tumours. They can occur in pure form or combined with another component including endometrioid adenocarcinoma. We aimed to review the clinical impact of neuroectodermal phenotype in uterine tumours, after we recently diagnosed one such case. A 58-year-old female presented with irregular vaginal bleeding. Ultrasonography and CT showed the presence of a large uterine mass with irregular contours. At laparotomy it was found to extend to the right ureter, sigmoid colon and some small intestinal loops. Microscopic examination revealed that the tumour consisted of an endometrioid adenocarcinoma component merging with an extensive neuroectodermal component. No EWSR1 or FUS rearrangement was found in the two tumour components. The patient received two courses of chemotherapy but died 11 months after the initial diagnosis. We reviewed the morphological and molecular criteria for the diagnosis of uterine primitive neuroectodermal tumours published in the literature. We conclude that regardless of the detection of an EWSR1 rearrangement, the presence of a neuroectodermal differentiation component in these rare uterine tumours is a marker of aggressive behaviour, and its presence should be highlighted in the diagnosis.

Cytogenetics of Mesenchymal Tumors of the Female Genital Tract

A great diversity of chromosome alterations have been reported in mesenchymal tumors of the female genital tract, particularly in the uterus. Some of these alterations specifically identify a certain tumor type. Cytogenetic studies on benign proliferations have not only demonstrated clonal chromosome changes, but have also pointed out clustering of aberrations to specific chromosome regions. For example, distinct cytogenetic subgroups have been described in uterine leiomyomas with overlapping histologic features. These findings may ultimately correlate with specific parameters, such as course of the disease, response to therapy, and recurrence. Moreover, such data may give a clue to an understanding of the biologic basis for distinctive behavior of benign versus malignant mesenchymal proliferations. No specific chromosomal abnormalities have been described in malignant mesenchymal tumors, with the exception of low-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas. This article reviews the information currently available on genetic changes in mesenchymal tumors of the female genital tract and, more specifically, those reported in the uterus, where they have been more frequently studied.

Carboplatin and paclitaxel adjuvant chemotherapy in primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the uterine corpus

Primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the uterine corpus (PNET) is rare and appears to have an aggressive clinical course. We report on a postmenopausal woman with optimal surgically cytoreduced advanced-stage PNET in which adjuvant combination chemotherapy with platinum and taxane agents was unsuccessful in extending her disease-free survival.

Uterine tumors with neuroectodermal differentiation: a series of 17 cases and review of the literature

Uterine tumors with neuroectodermal differentiation, frequently referred to as primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs), are uncommon. The clinicopathologic features of 17 such cases reviewed at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) are presented along with a review of the literature. All of the pathology material was reviewed at MDACC, and in all cases, immunohistochemistry contributed to the diagnosis. In 12 cases, in situ hybridization techniques were used to determine whether a rearrangement of the EWSR1 gene, required for a diagnosis of peripheral PNET, was present. Clinical information was obtained from a patient chart review. Ages ranged from 31 to 81 years (median 58). Clinical presentations included vaginal bleeding (9), back pain (1), presumed fibroids (2), pelvic mass (1), incidental finding at hysterectomy (1), and unknown (3). Twelve patients had surgery or imaging to determine stage: I (2), II (0), III (6), and IV (4). Five patients had biopsy only. Ten tumors had only neuroectodermal components. In 7 tumors, the neuroectodermal component was admixed with an additional component including unclassified sarcoma (2 cases), rhabdomyosarcoma, endometrioid carcinoma, adenosarcoma and malignant mixed Mullerian tumor (2 cases). Follow-up, available for 13 patients, ranged from 2 to 41 months with 7 patients dead of disease 2 to 26 months after diagnosis. Six patients are alive with no evidence of disease after follow-up ranging from 6 to 41 months. Four patients were lost to follow-up. Results for the most commonly used immunohistochemistry studies include cytokeratin, 13/15 tumors negative (2 focally positive); synaptophysin, 15/16 tumors positive; neurofilament, 10/11 tumors positive; and CD99, 7/9 tumors positive (2 tumors had nonspecific cytoplasmic staining). None of the 12 tumors tested had a detectable rearrangement in the EWSR1 gene. Uterine tumors with neuroectodermal differentiation, similar to more common endometrial malignancies, tend to occur in postmenopausal women and frequently present with vaginal bleeding. An immunohistochemistry panel including cytokeratin, neurofilament, synaptophysin, and CD99 can highlight neuroectodermal differentiation and identify tumors for which molecular testing should be considered. Tumors without a rearrangement of the EWSR1 gene should be descriptively characterized as uterine tumors with neuroectodermal differentiation or alternatively central type PNETs rather than PNET, not otherwise specified to avoid confusion with peripheral PNET.

Primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the myometrium with cardio-vascular symptoms

BACKGROUND

Non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis is a severe complication of cancer, rarely reported in gynecologic tumors. However, it can be inaugural and lead to complex diagnostic pathways.

CASE

A 40-year-old woman presented with a stroke, related to an endocarditis. The valvular vegetation was surgically removed, and a malignant node was resected. A PET-scan led to the diagnosis of a myometrial tumor, which was found to be a primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET). The patient underwent total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and systemic chemotherapy which allowed a complete remission of tumoral and cardio-vascular symptoms.

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, this is the first case report of a PNET of the myometrium revealed by cardio-vascular symptoms.

Primary Ewing's sarcoma-primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the uterus: a case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Primary Ewing's sarcoma-primitive neuroectodermal tumor (ES-PNET) of the uterus is an extremely rare malignancy.

CASE

A 30-year-old Korean woman presented with abnormal uterine bleeding with uterine enlargement. A computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the abdomen and pelvis showed a huge uterine mass measuring 18 x 20 x 21 cm, metastasis to both pelvic and para-aortic lymph nodes, and omental infiltration. The pathology report of the uterine mass described a uniformly hypercellular tumor, which was arranged in diffuse solid sheets of uniform, small, rounded, and sometimes spindle-shaped cells, with scanty cytoplasm. Immunohistochemically, the mass tested positive for vimentin, CD99, and chromogranin. The patient received several courses of combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy but died from tumor progression 16 months after the initial diagnosis.

CONCLUSION(S)

This is a rare case of primary uterine ES-PNET in a woman of reproductive age. A review of the literature indicates that primary uterine ES-PNET requires early diagnosis and multimodality treatment including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. The behavior of this tumor is potentially aggressive.