CH13 - Female Genital System and Gestational Pathology Flashcards
What is the vulva?
Anatomically includes the skin and mucosa of the female genitalia external to the hymen (labia majora, labia minora, mons pubis, and vestibule)
What is the vulva lined by?
squamous epithelium
What is a bartholin cyst?
Cystic dilation of the Bartholin gland
What are the bartholin glands?
One Bartholin gland is present on each side of the vaginal canal and produces mucus-like fluid that drains via ducts into the lower vestibule.
Bartholin cyst arises due to what?
inflammation and obstruction of gland
In whom does bartholin cyst usually occur?
in women of reproductive age
How does bartholin cyst present?
as a unilateral, painful cystic lesion at the lower vestibule adjacent to the vaginal canal
What is condyloma?
Warty neoplasm of vulvar skin, often large
What is condyloma most commonly due to?
HPV types 6 or 11 (condyloma acuminatum) secondary syphilis (condyloma latum) is a less common cause. Both are sexually transmitted.
Histologically, how are HPV-associated condylomas characterized?
by koilocytes
What is the relationship between condylomas and carcinoma?
They rarely progress to carcinoma (6 and 11 are low-risk HPV types)
How is lichen sclerosis characterized?
by thinning of the epidermis and fibrosis (sclerosis) of the dermis
How does lichen sclerosis present?
as a white patch (leukoplakia) with parchment-1ike vulvar skin
What is lichen sclerosis most commonly seen in?
postmenopausal women
What is a possible etiology for lichen sclerosis?
Possibly autoimmune etiology
Is lichen sclerosis associated with carcinoma?
Benign, but associated with a slightly increased risk for squamous cell carcinoma
What is lichen simplex chronicus?
Characterized by hyperplasia of the vulvar squamous epithelium
How does lichen simplex chronicus present?
as leukoplakia with thick, leathery vulvar skin
What is lichen simplex chronicus associated with?
chronic irritation and scratching
Is lichen simplex chronicus associated with carcinoma?
Benign; no increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma
What is vulvar carcinoma?
Carcinoma arising from squamous epithelium lining the vulva
What is the frequency of vulvar carcinoma?
Relatively rare, accounting for only a small percentage of female genital cancers
How does vulvar carcinoma present?
as leukoplakia
In vulvar carcinoma what may be required and why?
biopsy to distinguish carcinoma from other causes of leukoplakia
What is the etiology for vulvar carcinoma?
may be HPV related or non-HPV related.
What is HPV-related vulvar carcinoma due to?
high-risk HPV types 16 and 18.
What are the risk factors for HPV-related vulvar carcinoma related to?
HPV exposure and include multiple partners and early first age of intercourse; generally occurs in women of reproductive age
From where does HPV related vulvar carcinoma arise?
It arises from vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN), a dysplastic precursor lesion characterized by koilocytic change, disordered cellular maturation, nuclear atypia, and increased mitotic activity
When does non-HPV related vulvar carcinoma arise?
most often, from long-standing lichen sclerosis,
What happens in non-HPV related vulvar carcinoma?
Chronic inflammation and irritation eventually lead to carcinoma
In whom is non-HPV related vulvar carcinoma generally seen?
in elderly women (average age is > 70 years)
How is extramammary paget disease characterized?
by malignant epithelial cells in the epidermis of the vulva
How does extramammary paget disease present?
as erythematous, pruritic, ulcerated vulvar skin
What does extramammary paget disease represent?
carcinoma in situ, usually with no underlying carcinoma
What is Paget disease of the nipple characterized by?
malignant epithelial cells in the epidermis of the nipple, but it is almost always associated with an underlying carcinoma.
What must paget disease be distinguished from?
melanoma, which rarely can occur on the vulva
How is pagets disease distinguished from melanoma?
1) Paget cells are PAS+. keratin+, and S100-. 2) Melanoma is PAS-, keratin-, and S100+.
What is the vagina?
Canal leading to the cervix
What lines the vagina?
Mucosa is lined by non-keratinizing squamous epithelium
What is adenosis?
Focal persistence of columnar epithelium in the upper 1/3 of the vagina
What happens to the epithelium of the vagina during development?
squamous epithelium from the lower 2/3 of the vagina grows upward to replace the columnar epithelium lining of the upper 1/3 of the vagina
What is the lower 2/3 of the vagina derived from?
urogenital sinus
What is the upper 1/3 of the vagina derived from?
Mullerian ducts
In whom is there an increased incidence for adenosis?
in females who were exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES) in utero
What is clear cell adenocarcinoma?
malignant proliferation of glands with clear cytoplasm
What is the frequency for clear cell adenocarcinoma?
Its rare, but feared, complication of DES-associated vaginal adenosis
What is a feared complication of DES-associated vaginal adenosis?
Clear cell adenocarcinoma
What led to the cessation of DES usage?
Discovery of the clear cell carcinoma complication (along with other DES-induced abnormalities of the gynecologic tract such as abnormal shape of the uterus)
What is embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma?
Malignant mesenchymal proliferation of immature skeletal muscle; rare
How does embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma present?
as bleeding and a grape-1ike mass protruding from the vagina or penis of a child (usually < 5 yrs of age)
What is embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma also known as?
sarcoma botryoides.
What is the characteristic cell for embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma?
Rhabdomyomablast
What does rhabdomyomablast exhibit?
cytoplasmic cross-striations and positive immunohistochemical staining for desmin and myogenin.
What is vaginal carcinoma?
Carcinoma arising from squamous epithelium lining the vaginal mucosa
What is vaginal carcinoma usually related to?
high-risk HPV
What is the precursor lesion for vaginal carcinoma?
it is vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VAIN)
What happens when vaginal carcinoma spreads to regional lymph nodes?
cancer from the lower 2/3 of vagina goes to inguinal nodes, and cancer from the upper 1/3 goes to regional iliac nodes.
What is the cervix?
Anatomically, comprises the neck of the uterus
What is the cervix divided into?
the exocervix (visible on vaginal exam) and endocervix
What is the exocervix lined by?
nonkeratinizing squamous epithelium
What is the endocervix lined by?
a single layer of columnar cells
What is the function between the exocervix and endocervix called?
the transformation zone
What is HPV?
Sexually transmitted DNA virus that infects the lower genital tract, especially the cervix in the transformation zone
What usually happens to HPV?
Infection is usually eradicated by acute inflammation;
In HPV what does persistent infection lead to?
an increased risk for cervical dysplasia (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, CIN)
In HPV, what does the risk of CIN depend on?
the HPV type
How is the HPV type determined?
DNA sequencing.
What are the HPV types that are high risk for cervical intraepithelial dysplasia?
High-risk?HPV types 16, 18, 31, and 33
What are the low-risk types for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia?
HPV types 6 and 11
In high risk HPV, what is responsible for p53 destruction?
Production of E6
In high risk HPV, what is responsible for Rb destruction?
Production of E7
What do the high-risk HPV types produce that leads to the increased risk for CIN?
E6 and E7 proteins which result in increased destruction of p53 and Rb, respectively. Loss of these tumor suppressor proteins increases the risk for CIN.
What is cervical intraepithelial neoplasia characterized by?
koiloeytic change, disordered cellular maturation, nuclear atypia, and increased mitotic activity within the cervical epithelium.
What is cervical intraepithelial neoplasia divided into?
grades based on the extent of epithelial involvement by immature dysplastic cells(CIN I, II, III)
What does CIN I involve?
< 1/3 of the thickness of the epithelium
What does CIN II involve?
< 2/3 of the thickness of the epithelium,
What does CIN III involve?
slightly less than the entire thickness of the epithelium
What does carcinoma in situ (CIS) involve?
the entire thickness of the epithelium.
How does CIN classically progress?
in a stepwise fashion through CIN I, CIN II, CIN 111, and CIS to become invasive squamous cell carcinoma.
Can CIN progression be reversed?
Progression is not inevitable (CIN 3 often regresses)
What is the relationship between the grade of dysplasia and carcinoma?
the higher the grade of dysplasia, the more likely it is to progress to carcinoma and the less likely it is to regress to normal.
What happens in cervical carcinoma?
Invasive carcinoma that arises from the cervical epithelium
In whom is cervical carcinoma most commonly seen?
in middle-aged women (average age is 40-50 years)
How does cervical carcinoma present?
It presents as vaginal bleeding, especially postcoital bleeding, or cervical discharge
What are the key risk factors for cervical carcinoma?
high-risk HPV infection; secondary risk factors include smoking and immunodeficiency (e.g cervical carcinoma with HIV is a potential AIDS-defining illness).
What are the most common subtypes of cervical carcinoma?
squamous cell carcinoma (80% of cases) and adenocarcinoma (15% of cases).
What are both of the most common types of cervical carcinoma related to?
Both types are related to HPV infection.
What happens to advanced tumors of cervical carcinoma?
they often invade through the anterior uterine wall into the bladder, blocking the ureters.
What is a common cause of death in advanced cervical carcinoma?
Hydronephrosis with postrenal failure
What is the goal of screening in cervical carcinoma?
it is to catch dysplasia (CIN) before it develops into carcinoma
How long does progression from CIN to carcinoma take?
on average, takes 10-20 years.
When does cervical carcinoma screening begin?
at age 21 and is initially performed yearly.
What is the gold standard for screening for cervical carcinoma?
pap smear
How is a pap smear used to screen for cervical carcinoma?
Cells are scraped from the transformation zone using a brush and analyzed under a microscope.
In a pap smear, how are the cells scraped from the transformation zone characterized?
Dysplastic cells are classified as low grade (CIN I) or high grade (CIN II and III)
What is high-grade dysplasia characterized by?
cells with hyperchromatic (dark) nuclei and high nuclear to cytoplasmic ratios
What is the most successful screening test for cervical carcinoma developed to date?
Pap smear
What effect has pap smear had on cervical carcinoma?
It is responsible for a significant reduction in the morbidity and mortality of cervical carcinoma (cervical carcinoma went from being the most common to one of the least common types of gynecologic carcinoma in the US).
What is usually the case for women who develop invasive cervical carcinoma?
they usually have not undergone screening
What is an abnormal pap smear followed by?
confirmatory colposcopy (visualization of cervix with a magnifying glass) and biopsy.
What are the limitations of the Pap smear?
they include inadequate sampling of the transformation zone (false negative screening) and limited efficacy in screening for adenocarcinoma
How has Pap smear screening affected the incidence of adenocarcinoma?
The incidence has not decreased significantly.
What is an effective way of preventing HPV infections?
immunization
What is the quadrivalent vaccine?
it covers HPV types 6,11,16, and 18,
What antibodies protect against condylomas?
Those generated against types 6 and 11
What antibodies protect against CIN, VAIN, VIN and carcinoma?
Those generated against types 16 and 18
For immunization, how long does protection last?
for 5 years.
Are pap smears necessary for someone who has been vaccinated?
Yes, due to the limited number of HPV types covered by the vaccine
What is the endometrium?
it is the mucosal lining of the uterine cavity
What is the myometrium?
it is the smooth muscle wall underlying the endometrium
Does the endometrium respond to hormones?
It is hormonally sensitive
What drives growth of the endometrium?
it is estrogen driven (proliferative phase).
What drives preparation of the endometrium for implantation?
it is progesterone driven (secretory phase)
When does shedding of the endometrium occur?
with loss of progesterone support (menstrual phase)
What is asherman syndrome?
It is secondary amenorrhea
What is asherman syndrome due to?
loss of the basalis and scarring
What is the basalis of the endometrium?
basalis
What does asherman syndrome result from?
overaggressive dilation and curettage (D&C)
What is the anovulatory cycle?
Lack of ovulation
What does the anovulatory cycle result in?
an estrogen-driven proliferative phase without a subsequent progesterone driven secretory phase
What happens in the anovulatory cycle?
Proliferative glands break down and shed resulting in uterine bleeding.
The anovulatory cycle represents a common cause of what?
dysfunctional uterine bleeding, especially during menarche and menopause
What is menarche?
The first menstrual period
What is acute endometritis?
Bacterial infection of the endometrium
What is acute endometritis usually due to?
retained products of conception (e.g., after delivery or miscarriage); retained products act as a nidus for infection.
What does acute endometritis present as?
fever, abnormal uterine bleeding, and pelvic pain
What is chronic endometritis?
Chronic inflammation of the endometrium
What is chronic endometritis characterized by?
lymphocytes and plasma cells
What are necessary for the diagnosis of chronic endometritis?
Plasma cells since lymphocytes are normally found in the endometrium.
What are the causes of chronic endometritis?
they include retained products of conception, chronic pelvic inflammatory disease (e.g., Chlamydia), IUD, and TB.
What does chronic endometritis present as?
abnormal uterine bleeding, pain, and infertility
What is an endometrial polyp?
Hyperplastic protrusion of endometrium
What does an endometrial polyp present as?
abnormal uterine bleeding
An endometrial polyp can arise as a side effect of what and why?
tamoxifen, which has anti-estrogenic effects on the breast but weak pro-estrogenic effects on the endometrium