Intra-Operative Frozen Sections for Ovarian Tumors – A Tertiary Center Experience

Background: Accuracy of diagnosis with intra-operative frozen sections is extremely important in the evaluation of ovarian tumors so that appropriate surgical procedures can be selected. Study design: All patients who with intra-operative frozen sections for ovarian masses in a tertiary center over nine years from June 2008 until April 2017 were reviewed. Frozen section diagnosis and final histopathological reports were compared. Main outcome measures: Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of intra-operative frozen section as compared to final histopathological results for ovarian tumors. Results: A total of 92 cases were recruited for final evaluation. The frozen section diagnoses were comparable with the final histopathological reports in 83.7% of cases. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value for benign and malignant ovarian tumors were 95.6%, 85.1%, 86.0% and 95.2% and 69.2%, 100%, 100% and 89.2% respectively. For borderline ovarian tumors, the sensitivity and specificity were 76.2% and 88.7%, respectively; the positive predictive value was 66.7% and the negative predictive value was 92.7%. Conclusion: The accuracy of intra-operative frozen section diagnoses for ovarian tumors is high and this approach remains a reliable option in assessing ovarian masses intra-operatively.

Lympho-vascular space invasion indicates advanced disease for uterine papillary serous tumors arising from polyps

BACKGROUND

Uterine papillary serous tumors are rarely seen and behave aggressively. Our aim was to evaluate uterine papillary serous tumors arising from polyps.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Clinicopathological data of patients with uterine serous cancer arising from a polyp at the Gynecological Oncology Department of Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Education and Research Hospital were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTS

We analyzed patients according to FIGO 2009 staging system as stage 1A and higher than stage 1A (3 and 6, respectively). All the patients were postmenopausal. Mean CA-125, CA-19.9 and CA15.3 levels were elevated in higher than stage 1A group. However we did not find a statistical difference between age, parity, polyp size, CA-125, CA-15.3, CA-19.9 and CEA levels. Lympho-vascular space invasion (LVSI) showed predictivity for advanced disease (p=0.025).

CONCLUSIONS

The histopathologic nature of uterine serous carcinoma is a unique entity. LVSI is a prognosticator for defining an advanced stage uterine papillary tumor.

Prevalence of Co-existing Endometrial Carcinoma in Patients with Preoperative Diagnosis of Endometrial Hyperplasia

INTRODUCTION

Endometrial hyperplasia has been associated with the presence of concomitant endometrial carcinoma. In this study, patients who were diagnosed with endometrial hyperplasia and had hysterectomy, determination of the incidence of endometrial cancer accompanying postoperatively and clinical parameters associated with cancer are aimed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Endometrial biopsies were taken from patients for various reasons and among them 158 patients diagnosed with endometrial hyperplasia from pathologic examination results were retrospectively evaluated. All of the patient's age, parity, weight, transvaginal ultrasound measured by endometrial thickness, concomitant systemic disease (diabetes, hypertension, hypothyroidism), tamoxifen use, hormone use and whether in reproductive age or menopause were all questioned. Patients who applied with endometrial cancer, their cervical stromal involvement, lymph node involvement, cytology positivity and omental metastases were examined. Patients were classified according to their stage and grade. Patients who had intraoperative frozen were re-evaluated.

RESULTS

Fifteen cases with preoperative endometrial hyperplasia diagnosed with endometrial cancer postoperatively, 2 cases had complex hyperplasia without atypia and 13 cases had complex atypical hyperplasia. The rate of preoperative hyperplasia with postoperative endometrial cancer was found to be 10.8% where by 15 cases of patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer postoperatively 11 cases were in postmenopausal period. In patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer according to their histologic types 14 cases had endometrioid adenocarcinoma while one patient with preoperative complex hyperplasia without atypia was diagnosed with serous papillary carcinoma postoperatively. Evaluation of stages in patients diagnosed with cancer, 7 cases of patients had stage IA, 7 cases of patients had stage IB, and 7 cases cases of patients with serous papillary carcinoma were evaluated as stage 3C.

CONCLUSION

The risk of endometrial cancer in patients diagnosed with endometrial hyperplasia especially endometrial hyperplasia ranges between 15% to 45% and among them 7.9%-51% are found to have myometrial inversion. Therefore, preoperative ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging should be perfomed in patients diagnosed with complex atypical hyperplasia. Even intraoperative frozen section examination can provide useful information in selected cases.