Serous Papillary Carcinoma

Endometrial curettage containing high grade uterine serous papillary carcinoma in an 80 year old woman.

Contributed by Dr. Dwayne Lawrence

Sections from the uterus of a 76 year old woman with endometrial adenocarcinoma showed a predominant histological pattern of serous carcinoma (left) and lesser areas with endometrioid carcinoma pattern (right). Such mixed patterns in endometrial carcinoma are not at all unusual.

These photos, at low and high magnifications, are from the same case shown previously. They show myometrial invasion by moderately to poorly differentiated serous adenocarcinoma. The depth of myometrial invasion, in this case 77% of the myometrium, is an important factor in the staging of endometrial carcinoma.

Contributed by Dr. Margaret Steinhoff

An 80 year old woman with postmenopausal bleeding underwent hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomies. Grossly, an endometrial polyp measuring up to 3 cm in diameter was noted. The microphoto above from the base of the polyp shows malignant tumor on the right and myometrium on the left with intervening cystic, atrophic endometrium.

Higher magnification shows poorly-differentiated serous adenocarcinoma. Multiple sections revealed that the lesion was confined to the polyp and adjacent atrophic endometrium. Serous tumors of the uterus are highly aggressive.

Contributed by Dr. Hongwei Bai

Blood vessel invasion of endometrial carcinoma in a myometrial vessel, a poor histologic prognostic factor in endometrial carcinoma.

Contributed by Dr. Dwayne Lawrence