[Mixed mesodermal tumors of the uterus. Clinico-pathologic characteristics of 23 patients]

The clinical and pathological features, histogenesis and treatment of 23 cases of mixed mesodermal tumours of the uterus (15 benign and 8 malignant) in woman aged from 27 to 78 years (mean 51.25) are reviewed. The tumours manifested by non-specific symptoms, most often uterine bleeding, arising suspicion of malignancy in only two cases. Unlike malignant mixed mesodermal tumours, differentiation of adenofibromas from low-grade adenosarcomas was often very difficult, and needed careful pathohistological analysis of extirpated tissues, including all available histochemical, immunohistochemical and EM procedures. Two cases of adenofibromas recurred as adenosarcomas after four months and five years respectively. Poor prognosis of malignant variants of mixed mesodermal tumours and their difficult differentiation from adenofibromas require close collaboration of pathologists and gynaecologists, implicating hysterectomy as proposed treatment and permanent clinical monitoring.