Gynaecological and Breast Pathology Flashcards
What are the different types of Intraepithelial Neoplasia?
Most of these (below) driven by HPV (human papilloma virus);
• Vulval Intraepithelial Neoplasia- VIN
• Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia- CIN
• Cervical Glandular Intraepithelial Neoplasia- CGIN (in glandular epithelium)
• Vaginal Intraepithelail Neoplsia- VaIN
• Anal intraepithelial neoplasia-AIN (affects perianal
What is Dysplasia?
- Dysplasia- subnormal growth of tissue/ organ (abnormal cells not yet gotten ability to invade so can’t spread)
- Earliest morphological manifestation of neoplasia (multistage process)
- In-situ disease- non-invasive; shows cytological features of malignancy, but no invasion
- No invasion= no metastasis= curable (take out the in-situ cancer)
- Recognising dysplasia gives us chance to treat potential tumour before it arises
- Elim abnormal cells removes basis cancer will develop- cervical screening programme basis
- Chromosomal abnormalities
- Increasing dysplasia, increasing cytological abnormalities
What are Human Papillomaviruses?
- Double stranded DNA viruses
- 7.9kb circular genome
- 7 ‘early genes’ (involved in subverting cells replicative apparatus- replicate viral genome & integrate into host)
- 2 ‘late genes (package virion into struc- intact virions released & attack other cells)
- > 100 subtypes of HPV based on DNA sequence
- Diff types of HPV affect diff tissues e.g. HPV that causes skin warts diff to HPV causing genital warts
- Lifecycle linked to epithelial differentiation
- Genital HPVs grouped into low & high oncogenic risk of developing neoplasm
- High risk HPVs also involved in penile intraepithelial neoplasia, squamous cell carcinoma & subgroup of oral cell carcinomas (genital HPV types get into mouth)
- In most women HPV won’t cause long term harm, will be cleared by immune system
- Immunosuppression (due to disease/ iatrogenic) can lead to extensive & multifocal intraepithelial neoplasia in lower female genital tract (by uncontrolled HPV infec)
- Smoking important in cervical cancer aetiology; decreases antigen presenting cells in cervical epithelium & causes local immunosuppression (HPV can cause probs)
What are low risk Human Papillomaviruses?
- BENIGN genital warts & other low-grade cytological abnormalities: 6, 11, 40, 42, 43, 44, 53, 54, 61, 72, 73 & 81
- Subtypes 6 & 11 linked with genital warts (most common)
‘Low Risk’ HPV 6, 11
• Lower genital tract warts (condylomas= benign squamous neoplasms), low grade ‘IN’s
• Rarley malignant lesions
What are high risk Human Papillomaviruses?
- High-risk subtypes associated with high-grade pre-invasive & invasive disease are 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 68
- 99.7% of cervical cancers contain HPV DNA
- Types 16, 18 associated with 70% cervical cancers
- (HPV vaccine deals with 16 & 18 but as these only cause 70% cervical cancers vaccine will never eliminate HPV cervical cancer completely)
High Risk’ HPV 16, 18, (31, 33)
• High grade ‘IN’s & invasive carcinomas
What are available vaccinations for HPV?
- ‘Gardasil’ (Merck) HPV 6, 11, 16, 18
- ‘Cervarix’ (MSK) HPV 16, 18
- Uk vaccination began Sept 2008 using Cervarix
- Age 12-13 with ‘catch-up’ up to 18
- Switch to Gardasil Sept 2012
What is the Mode of Action of High Risk HPV?
• Early genes (expressed early in viral replication) expressed at onset of infec- control viral replication
• In oncogenic viruses, they’re involved in cell transformation
• Late genes- code caspid proteins
• High risk HPVs integrate into host chromosomes (difficult to get rid of)
• Upregulates E6, E7 viral protein (from early gene) expression
o E6 binds to & inactivates p53 (p53 mediates apoptosis in response to DNA damage)- genetic damage accumul
o E7 binds to RB1 gene product (RB1 is tumour suppressor gene, controls G1/S checkpoint in cell cycle)- dysregulation of cell proliferation
• (P53 recognises DNA damage & causes apoptosis to get rid of damaged DNA- E6 gets rid of this)
• (RB1 gene product- stops cell proliferation- E7 stops this)
What is Vulval Intraepithelial Neoplasia?
- Varied clinical appearances of VIN
- From L to R; warty, white patches, pigmented patches, visualised by painting with toluidine blue
- Several diff clinical manifestations
What are the two types of Pre-invasive stages of Vulval Intraepithelial Neoplasia?
Pre-invasive stage- 2 sorts with diff molecular pathology & pathogenesis;
• Classical/ warty/ baseloid
o Graded VIN 1-3
o Related to high risk HPV infec
o Younger people
• Differentiated VIN
o Not graded
o Not HPV related (diff to above disease)
o In chronic dermatoses (chronic inflamm skin disease) esp, lichen sclerosus
o Older people (70 onwards)
o Sep path to vulval cancer
What is the Behaviour of Vulval Intraepithelial Neoplasia?
- 35-50% recur
- +ve margins predict recurrence
- Progression to invasive cancer in 4-7% treated women (reduced risk in treated) & up to 87% of those untreated
- Invasion more likley in postmenopausal/ immunocompromised
- Spontaneous regression may occur particularly in young, postpartum women (after had a baby)- e.g. immune modulation in pregnancy
What is Vulval Squamous Cell Carcinoma?
- Most common vulval cancer (90%)
- Associated with VIN (age <60, assoc lower genital tract neoplasia (CIN), HPV +)
- Assocaited with inflaamtory dermatoses (age >70, Lichen sclerous, Lichen planus)
- Symptomatic lichen sclerosis 15% risk of malignancy
What is Vulval Squamous Cell Carcinoma?
- Associated with VIN
- Associated with inflammatory dermatoses
- Eroded plaque or ulcer
- Can be contralateral depending on if it’s a more central tumour
- Spreads: locally to involve vagina & distal urethra (affects treatment- surgical complications- need to preserve function)
- To ipsilateral inguinal lymph nodes (LNs)
- To contralateral inguinal lymph nodes, deep iliofemoral LNs (25% if inguinal nodes +ve)- can work it’s way up nodes in the body
- Anything deeper than 1mm- risk of lymph node metastasis higher;
- Can do lymph node sampling to check (biopsy) e.g. sentinel node biopsy (inject tumour with radioactive tracer- see where 1st lymph node it goes to)
- Other biopsy methods cause lymphoedema risk
What is the prognosis of Vulval Squamous Cell Carcinoma?
- Gynaecological cancers staged with FIGO system not TMN system
- Way of practically documenting way tumour spreads (don’t need to know details of the staging)
- 5 year survival: Stage 1 (95%), Stage 2 (90%), Stage 3 (70%), Stage 4a (20%), Stage 4b (<10%),
What is Malignant vulval melanoma
Malignant melanoma (5% of vulval cancers)
• Mean age 50-60
• Local recurrence in 1/3, spread to urethra freq
• Lymph node/ haematogenous spread common
• Depth of invasion (most important prognostic factor) correlates with LN involvement
• Heavily pigmented (not all are- can get amelanotic ones with no pigment)
• Just as aggressive as cutaneous melanomas
• Histopathological exam; diagnosis, prognostic info (guides treatment)
What is Extramammary Paget’s Disease?
- 5% vulval cancers, mean age 80
- Pruritic/burning/eczematous patch (like Paget’s disease of the nipple- if looks like eczma e.g. of nipple/ vulva- consider Pagets)
- In-situ adenocarcinoma of squamous mucosa
- Tend to recur following excision- doesn’t have edge to it, don’t know how wide to make excision
- Can develop invasive adenocarcinoma
- Although eczematous eruptions can occur at this site (e.g. allergic contact dermatitis e.g. new washing powder)
- Paget’s disease should be in differential diagnosis (often looks like eczema) & consider biopsy
- In the breast Pagets’s due to underlying ductal carcinoma in-situ spreading into the epidermis.
- In vulva- usually no underlying tumour; can hypothesise glandular malignant cells arise in intraepidermal portion of sweat ducts.
- Usually no underlying tumour
- 5% regional malignant disease (local cancer); bladder, cervix, exclude primary rectal cancer, where there is a prominent perianal component
What is Cervical Pathology?
- Transformation zone (TZ)= physiological area of squamous metaplasia
- TZ vulnerable to oncogenic effects of HPV- is where cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) happens so cervical cancer starts
- Transformation zone develops & changes at diff stages in life;
- Want to sample TZ when taking a cervical cytology sample
- Post-menopausal state- TZ retracted up canal (might not be able to see it colonoscopically/ sample it cytologically)
- If CIN there- might not be able to excise it easily completely with a LLETZ.
- So diagnosing & treating CIN postmenopause can be a prob (as can’t reach up the area to get to the junction for the cytology- will get false –ves in cervical screening programme).
What is Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia?
- Pre-invasive stage of cervical SCC
- Detection of pre-invasive stage is aim of cervical screening programme
- Graded according to increasing abnormality (can see on cytology)
- This shows correlation between cytology of cells brushed off epithelium surface, with the underlying dysplastic changes in epithelium.
Look at regression and progression table of the different types
What is the Cervical Screening Programme?
• Is a test of CIN (pre-invasive stage) not cancer
• Available test has high sensitivity and specificity & test is not harmful
• Defined pre-invasive stage
• Long enough to allow intervention, simple, successful treatment
• Is NOT a test for cancer
• Regular attendance prevents 90% of cancers (rate would be 50% higher without screening)
• Uses liq based cytology & focused high risk HPV testing
• How screening organised periodically changes (recently with intro of HPV testing)
Why no screening below 25 yrs old?
• Evidence doesn’t support its use
• High HPV carriage rate (in most of them was no harm), incl high risk types (70-80% will be eliminated)- would have worried people it wouldn’t have harmed
• Reactive changes produce confusing cytology
• Unnecessary LLETZ (large loop excision of transition zone- used to treat) procedures can have obstetric consequences
What is Colposcopy & CIN Treatment ?
- Large Loop Excision of the Transformation Zone (LLETZ)
- Colposcopy- cervix examination with low powered stereoscopic microscope
- Cervix often painted with acetic acid- highlights potentially abnormal epithelium which can resect (local anaesthetic) with diathermy loop (this histopathologically examined- guide further treatment)
What are the risk factors of Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma?
• High risk HPV most important causative factor
• Multiple sexual partners
• Male partner with multiple partners
• Young age at first intercourse
• High parity
• Low socioeconomic group
• SMOKING (local immunosupression)
• Immunosuppression (disease related/ induced by drugs)
Looking at ulcerated cervical carcinoma pic- can work out what clinical presentation may be.
Such a lesion will commonly bleed/ cause a discharge.
If tumour presents late, could be signs & symptoms due to local spread, eg into bladder or affecting ureters causing hydronephosis & urinary symptoms.
What is Cervical Adenocarcinoma?
- Presentation/spread same as SCC (squamous cell carcinomas)
- Related to high risk HPV
- Precursor is Cervical Glandular Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CGIN)
- Treated same as CIN/SCC
- Stage for stage worse prognosis that SCC due to radioresistance
- Can occur further up canal- more false –ves
- Not as sensitive to radiotherapy as squamous cell carcinomas
What is Cervical Carcinoma- Staging and prognosis ?
Simplified FIGO staging
• I Confined to cervix
• II Invades beyond uterus, not to pelvic side wall
• III Extends to pelvic wall, lower 1/3 vagina, hydronephrosis
• IV Invades bladder or rectum or outside pelvis
Early lesions may not need radical surgery- can be cured by LLETZ (95% 5 yr survival): stage IA1 (73% 5yr survival) has a depth of invasion of <3mm & max lateral dimension of <7mm. Stage IA2 has a depth of invasion of 3-5mm & maximum lateral dimension of <7mm. stage IIA consider chemo and radio, stage 3 and 4 (36/13% 5 year survival- consider palliative chemo/therapy)
What is Metastasis of Cervical Carcinoma?
- Predictably to pelvic and para-aortic lymph nodes
- Via blood to lungs, bone etc
- Local invasion extending out of cervix to baldder, ureters & rectum make primary surgical treatment inappropriate
- Tumour spreads to lymph nodes- dictates treatment; surgery involves radical hysterectomy with pelvic & paraaortic lymph node dissections, radiotherapy also takes in lymph node fields
- Haematogenous spread
What is Congenital or Acquired Disorders of the Females Genital Tract?
Congenital: Mainly gonadal failure
Acquired” infection/growth disorder/injury/metabolic/immune disorder
What is Endometriosis?
Tissue usually inside uterus (endometrium) grows outside uterus e.g. ovaries, abdomen, bladder
• Ectopic endometrium (regurgitation theory/ metaplasia theory/ stem cell theory/ metastasis theory)=bleeding into tissues= fibrosis
• Normal endometrial tissue back tracks & settles in other parts
• Metaplasia theory- certain cells decide to develop into one type instead of another
• Stem cell theory- stem cell precursor e.g. can get endometrial cells in lungs
• 6-10% of women, 30-40yo
• Hx: 25% asymptomatic, dysmenorrhoea (painful menstruation), pelvic pain, subfertility, pain on passing stool, dysuria (painful/difficult dysuria)
• Ix (investigations): laparoscopy (viewing tube in abdomen to see abdominal organs)
• Rx: medical (COCP (combined oral contraceptive pill), GnRH agonists/ antagonists, progesterone antagonists) or surgical (ablation of deposits/ TAH- BSO)
• Links: ectopic pregnancy, ovarian cancer, IBD
What is Endometritis?
Inflammation of the endometrium (uterus lining)
• PID, retained gestational tissue, endometrial TB, IUCD infection
• Histology= predominant lymphocytes/ plasma cells
• Caused by forgein bodies chronic retained products, infection
• Pelvic inflamm disease can be associated with chlamydia
• Hx: abdominal/ pelvic pain, pyrexia, discharge, dysuria, abnormal vaginal bleeding
o Acute- systemic infec (e.g. fever), get neutrophil predominant infec
o Chronic- get lymphocyte & plasma cell predominant response & not as much systemic symptoms
• Ix: biochemistry/ microbiology, USS
• Rx: analgesia, abx, remove cause
What is Endometrial Polyps?
Mass in inner lining of uterus, can have flat base (sessile) or be attached to uterus by elongated pedicle (pedunculated)
• Sessile/ polypoid E2- dependant uterine overgrowths
• Outgrowth of endometrium into lumen
• May be asynchronous with rest of endometrium
• May be benign but some can harbour pre-malignant changes of endometrial cancer (so usually removed to prevent carcinoma)
• <10% women (40-50s)
• Hx: often asmptomatic, instrumental/ post-menopausal bleeding, menorrhagia, dysmenorrhoea (painful menstruation)
• Ix: USS, hysteroscopy
• Rx: expectant, medical (P4/ GnRH agonists), surgical (curettage)
What is a Leiomyoma?
Leiomyoma (Uterine Fibroids)
Benign smooth muscle tumour that rarely becomes cancer
• Smooth muscle of uterus responsible for contracting
• Benign myometrial tumours with E2/P4 dependant growth
• Usually asymptomatic unless very large, usually responsive to oestrogen in terms of proliferation
• 20% women 30-50s
• Risk factors: genetics, nulliparity (woman who’s never borne a child), obesity, PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), HTN
• Hx: often asymptomatic, menometorrhagia (heavy bleeding= Fe deficient anaemia), subfertility/ pregnancy probs, pressures sx
• Ix: bimanual examination, USS
• Rx: medical (IUS (interuterine system contraceptive coil)/ NSAIDs/ OCP/ P4/ Fe2+), non-medical (artery embolization, ablation, TAH (total abdominal hysterectomy- uterus & cervix removal))
• Prognosis: menopausal regression, LOW malignancy risk
What is Endometrial Hyperplasia?
Abnormal endometrium prolif (more than that occurs for menstruation)- endometrial carcinoma risk factor
• Excessive endometrial proliferation (↑E2, ↓P2)
• Endometrium overgrowth- high levels/ unopposed oestrogen (oestrogen has antagonistic effect in menstruation, progesterone stops prolif in menstruation)
• Risk factors: obesity, exogenous E2, PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), E2- producing tumours, tamoxifen (usually blocks oestrogen signal but in endometrium opposite), HNPCC (PTEN mutations- predispose you to develop colorectal & endometrial cancer)
• Obesity- causes peripheral oestrogen increase- favours metaplasia, polycystic kidney disease (favours this too)
• Cytotopic atypia- pre-malignant lesion
• Types;
o Simple non-atypical, simple atypical
o Complex non-atypical, complex atypical
• Hx: presents as abnormal bleeding- IMB/PCB/PMB (post menopausal bleeding)
• Ix (diagnose by): USS (endometrium thickening), hysteroscopy +/- biopsy (of endometrium- see if atypia or not)
• Rx: medical (IUS, P4- progesterone antagonises effect of oestrogen), surgical (TAH)
What is Malignant Progression of Hyperplasia?
- Endometrial hyperplasia= endometrioid carcinoma is progression from simple hyperplasia through complex to atypical hyperplasia & invasive carcinoma
- Simple hyperplasia (relatively common), endometriod carcinoma less freq
- Chances of progression through full spectrum increases further down spectrum woman is
- Caused by excess oestrogens from variety of possible sources
- 1st stage- simple hyperplasia with overgrowth of whole endometrium (thick endometrium on USS)
- In complex hyperplasia- more glandular epithelium &epithelium can be folded in complex architectural patterns
- Atypical hyperplasia (intraepithelial neoplasia) onset- cells show architectural changes of neoplasia with increased nuclear cytoplasmic ratio (bigger nuclei & less cytoplasm), irregular shapes, increased numbers of mitoses (some abnormal)
- Non-atypical hyperplasia hard to diagnose
- Increase in nuclear cytoplasmic ratio
- Stroma strands disappear when cancer
Normal to non-atypical hyperplasia (resembles normal proliferative endometrium) to atypical hyperplasia EIN Endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia (presence of cytological abnormality) to endometrial adenocarcinoma (invasion into myometrium)
What is Endometrial Adenocarcinoma?
Cancer that begins in the uterus- carcinoma from glandular tissue (adenocarcinoma)
• Most common cancer of female genital tract (9,200 new cases/ 2,500 deaths per yr UK)
• Hx: PMB (post menstrual bleeding)/ IMB, pain if late
• Ix: USS (endometrium growth), biopsy, hysteroscopy
• Staging: FIGO (1-4)
• Rx: medical (pordesterone- P4), surgery (TAH-BSO- remove ovaries & uterus & tubes), adjuvant therapy (chmo-/radiotherapy)
• Prognosis: stage 1= 90% 5yr survival, stage 2-3= <50%
• Early diagnosis- reduce mortality rate
• Remove oestrogen – help control their development- type 1 (endometroid)
• Type 2 (serous)- not oestrogen sensitive
Type 1: 75% of cases, pre or post menopausal, PTEN/Kras mutations, E2 positive, Grades 1,2 and 3
Type 2: 25% of cases, post menopausal, p53 mutations, E2 negative, Grades 3
What is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome?
Oestrogen & progesterone out of balance which leads to growth of ovarian cysts (benign masses on ovaries)
• Endocrine disorder- need 2 out of 3 triad; hyperandrogenism (lots of androgens- hairy, acne, abnormally long cycle length, no ovulation so no progesterone produc, constatnt oestrogen env increases canacer risk), menstrual abnormalities, polycystic ovaries
• Hypothalamic pituitary ovarian axis; hypothalamus makes gonadotrophin releasing hormone, release into hyperpophaseal portal system= gonadotropin RH causes FSH & LH (causes ovulation) release, causes oestrogen release which feedsback to hypothalamus
• Changes in relationship between FSH & LH- pulsatility gnRH released affected
• No feedback mechanism by oestrogen (????)
• Main hormone high in PCOS is LH (released by GnRH), oestrogen has +ve feedback on LH which would then cause more testosterone to be made (clomiphene drug blocks this oestrogen feedback)
• 6-10% women (20-30% have polycystic ovaries)
• Ix: USS, fasting biochemical screen (↓ FSH, ↑LH, ↑ testosterone, ↑DHEAS), OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test)
• Dx: Rotterdam criteria 2/3 of polycystic ovaries, hyperandrogenism (hirsuitism/ biochemical), irregular periods (>35 days)
• Rx: lifestyle (weight loss, exercise- get regression of disorder & reduces risk of type 2 diabetes), medical (metformin, OCP (oral contracp pill), clomiphene- blocks oestrogen feedback system on hypothalamus so upregulation of FSH & LH produc so can resume normal), surgical (ovarian drilling- puncture ovary)
• Links: infertility, endometrial hyperplasia/ adenocarcinoma
• Associated with: metabolic syndrome; obesity, insulin resistance (predisposes you to develop type 2 diabetes)
What is Hypogonadism?
Gonadal Failure (Hypogonadism)
Deficiency in secretory activity of ovaries/ testes
• Hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism (primary failure of gonads- don’t get appropriate development of kidneys)
o Congenital causes: Turner syndrome (XO), Klinifelters (XXY)
o Acquired causes: infection, surgery, chemo-radiotherapy, toxins/ drugs
• Pituitary & hypothal working but no –ve feedback from ovaries, get high levels of gonadotrophin but ovaries not functioning
• Hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism (hypothalamic/ pituitary failure= 2nd failure)- Sheen syndrome, pituitary tumours, brain injury PCOS
• Presentation: amenorrhoea/ absent menarche; delayed puberty, ↓ sex hormone levels +/- ↑ LH & FSH levels
• Ix: hormonal profiling (work out what’s missing & replace it), karyotyping (see if congenital cause)
• Rx: difficult- address cause: HRT
• Hypopohaseal portal system
• Woman leeds in during birth= hypovolaemia= pituitary vulnerable (limited vasculature)= pituitary ischaemic & dies so ovaries functional but pituitray’s not
• Prolactinomas- cells make more prolactin, crush other pituitary cells
• Brian injuries- hard impact, jolt of brian shears off pituitary stalk so hypothal can’t communicate with pituitary
What is the Origin of Ovarian Neoplasms?
- 3 key areas in ovary that can result in tumours
- Serous carcinomas, 2 types; high & low grade (don’t behave in same way) , sometimes tumours affect tubes but no primary tumours
- High grade carcinomas- originate in tube; cancer cells develop from epithelial cells of fallopian tube, then move & settle on ovary