Endometrioid adenocarcinoma arising from endometriosis: a case report

Endometriosis is frequently identified in the ovaries, rectum, pelvic peritoneum, cervix and vagina. However, endometriosis undergoing malignant transformation is a rare event, particularly when the condition manifests itself promptly after initial surgical management.

We present a case involving a 52-year-old woman who tested positive for the BRCA1 mutation and was diagnosed with endometriosis in 1999. Two years following treatment, the patient presented with an endometrioid adenocarcinoma; pathologic evaluation indicated that the neoplasm originated from the endometriosis.

Malignant transformation is a very unusual event and reportedly occurs over several years. Nevertheless, considering the current patient's relatively sudden onset of disease, oncologists should maintain a high index of suspicion in high-risk patients treated surgically for endometriosis who re-present with pelvic symptoms.