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Endometrial scraping cytology in women with extragenital malignancies
Masao Okadome1, Toshiaki Saito, Naoki Tsukamoto
1Gynecology Service and Clinical Laboratory, National Kyushu Cancer Center, Fukuoka, Japan. mokadome@nk-cc.go.jp
Objective:
To clarify the usefulness of endometrial scraping smears in women with extragenital malignancies.
Study Design:
A total of 4,335 endometrial scraping smears were obtained during the 5-year period 1995-1999 at the National Kyushu Cancer Center and were retrospectively analyzed regarding extragenital malignancies.
Results:
There were 88 cases of extragenital malignancies. Extragenital malignant cells were detected in endometrial smears in 13 cases. The cases consisted of 4 gastric cancers, 4 breast cancers, 2 lung cancers, 1 rectal cancer, 1 gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the small intestine and 1 case of adenocarcinoma of unknown origin. The patients' average age was 52.5 years. The symptoms and signs included abnormal vaginal bleeding, abdominal and lumbar pain, lower limb edema, abdominal mass and neck lymph node swelling. Both ascites and peritoneal dissemination were found in 8 cases. Ten of the 13 cases were diagnosed as of extrauterine origin based on the characteristic cancer cell appearance, the absence of cellular detritus among the poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas and, above all, the morphologic difference between normal endometrial cells and cancer cells.
Conclusion:
Endometrial scraping smears are useful for detecting extragenital malignant cells that enter the uterine cavity.
