PMID: 3214497Jan 1, 1988Paper

Melanotic adenocarcinoma of the uterus. Neuroendocrine tumor of the uterus

Annales de pathologie
G Bertrand

Abstract

The case reported concerns a 76-year-old woman under treatment for a previously diagnosed "poorly differentiated endocervical adenocarcinoma". New biopsies revealed an adenocarcinomatous tumor with unexpected melanotic pigmentation. The patient underwent cesium therapy followed by colpohysterectomy with lymphadenectomy. As there were no metastases, external complementary radiotherapy was not used. Four months after surgery, a large recurrence was detected; surgical excision proved impossible but revealed a grossly pigmented tumor from which several samples were taken. The patient died 11 months after the first consultation. No autopsy was performed. Morphological study was done on the initial biopsy, on the uterine tumor and on the recurrent tumor, using histological, cytological, ultrastructural and immunohistochemical techniques. Flow cytometry and biochemical study were also carried out on the recurrent tumor. All the samples studied histologically revealed uniform tumor morphology showing a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with an irregular distribution of melanin pigmentation (Fontana +). Electron microscopy confirmed the epithelial nature of the tumor, showing differentiated apical poles with villosities, linked by de...Continue Reading

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