Vulvar, Vaginal, Cervical, Uterine and Endometrial Pathology Flashcards
What is a Bartholin cyst?
At what ages might they present?
What is the presentation?
Cyst of the Bartholin gland (2 in vagina) that produces an acute inflammation due to infection. They are lined by transitional or squamous epithelium and can become large (up to 3-4 cm) in diameter.
They can present at any age.
Pain and local discomfort.
What is the gross morphology of Lichen Sclerosis?
What can it increase the risk for?
What is the pathogenesis?
Smooth, white plaques or macules that, in time, may enlarge and coalesce to produce a certain a “poreclain” or “parchment” surface. If it affects the entire vulva, the labia can become atrophic and agglutinated and the vaginal orifice constricts.
Very slight increased risk for SCC of the vulva.
Uncertain pathogenesis, but it is thought to have some kind of autoimmune connection.
What causes squamous cell hyperplasia?
What is the presentation (mostly morphological)?
When might it be seen?
Rubbing and itching to relieve pruritis.
May present as leukoplakia and epidermal thickening and hyperkeratosis.
Might be seen at the margins of vulvar cancers, but it itself is not pre-malignant.
What causes condyloma acuminatum?
What is the morphological and gross appearance?
Are they pre-malignant?
Low oncogenic risk HPV (types 6 and 11).
Papillary, exophytic, tree-like cores of stroma covered by thickened squamous epithelium.
NOT pre-malignant.
What are the 2 types of squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva?
What age group is most common?
Basaloid and warty carcinomas: related to infection with HPV-16 most commonly (30% of cases). They are less common and occur at younger ages.
Keratinizing SCC: unrelated to HPV infection (70% of cases). More common and occur in older women.
> 60 y/o (2/3 of cases)
What is classic vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN)?
When do they occur?
What is a risk factor?
In which patients are complications more concerning?
In situ precursor lesions of basaloid and warty carcinomas.
Reproductive age women.
HPV infection.
Risk of progression to invasive carcinoma is higher in women >45 y/o who are immunosuppressed (peak age is 60 y/o).
What is differentiated vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN simplex)? Patients with which 2 underlying processes does it occur with?
What is the peak age of occurrence?
What mutation can be in high frequency in these neoplasms?
The precursor lesion for vulvar keratinizing SCC in patients with long-standing lichen sclerosus or squamous cell hyperplasia (no relation to HPV).
Peak age is 70 y/o.
TP53
What is papillary hidradenoma?
What is the morphology?
A sharply circumscribed nodule and may be confused with carcinoma as it is able to ulcerate.
Histologically identical to intraductal papilloma of the breast.
What is the presentation of extra-mammary Paget disease?
How is it different than Paget disease of the nipple?
Pruritic, red, crusted area on the labia majora.
Vulvar Paget is not typically associated with underlying cancer and is confined to epidermis of skin (100% of breast Paget’s is associated with malignancy).
What is uterus didelphys?
A double uterus that accompanies a septate/double vagina.
What is vaginal adenosis?
The vagina maintains its glandular epithelium into adulthood instead of transforming into squamous epithelium. During embryological development, the vaginal epithelium is columnar.
What is a Gartner cyst?
Common lesions along the lateral walls of the vagina and are derived from the mesonephric (Wolffian) ducts.
They are 1-2 cm fluid-filled cysts in the submucosa.
What is the clinical presentation of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma?
What are the histological features?
What is the prognosis?
Polypoid, rounded, bulky masses that appear as grape-like clusters in the vagina in kids <5 y/o.
Oval nuclei with small protrusions of of cytoplasm from one end (tennis racket looking).
Tumors tend to cause death by invasion into the peritoneum or obstructing the urinary tract. Conservative surgery coupled with chemo offer the best hope if detected early.
What is the “transformation zone” of the cervix? What is the significance?
The area of the cervix where the columnar epithelium abuts the squamous epithelium. It is most common area of malignant transformation.
What are endocervical polyps?
What do they look like histologically?
What is their significance?
Benign exophytic growths that arise within the endocervical canal.
Composed of loose fibromyxomatous stroma covered by mucous-secreting endocervical glands and include inflammation.
They may cause irregular vaginal “spotting”. They can be removed or curettaged.
The ability of HPV to act as a carcinogen depends on what?
Viral proteins E6 and E7, which interfere with the activity of TSGs in HPV-16.
What is CIN I, CIN II and CIN III?
What “grade” is associated with each?
What is the morphologic feature of each?
CIN I: mild dysplasia, LSIL, koilocytic atypia
CIN II: moderate dysplasia, HSIL, progressive atypia and expansion of the immature basal cellsa bove the lower 1/3 of epithelial thickness
CIN III: severe dysplasia, HSIL, diffuse atypia, loss of maturation, and expansion of immature basal cells to the epithelial surface
What is the diagnosis of squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) based on? (4)
Indentification of nuclear atypia characterized by nuclear enlargement, hyperchromasia (dark staining), coarse chromatin granules and variation in nuclear size/shape.
LSILs have what kind of viral activity/cell changes?
High level of viral replication, but only mild alteration of growth in affected cells.
What is the progression of LSIL?
Most do not progress directly to invasive carcinoma and usually regress, so it is not treated like a pre-malignant lesion.
HSILs have what kind of viral activity/cell changes?
Dysregulation of cell cycle by HPV leads to increased cell proliferation, decreased/arrested epithelial maturation and lower rate of viral replication.
+Ki67 in cervical dysplasia =
Abnormal expansion of proliferating cells from basal location.
CIN II.
Average age of cervical carcinoma in the US:
Types of carcinoma (3)
45 y/o (cervix - 40, endometrium - 50, ovary - 60)
SCC (80%)
Adenocarcinoma (15%)
Mixed adenosquamous or neuroendocrine (5%) - worst prognosis and shorter progression
Which LNs does cervical cancer metastasize to? (2)
What are the distant mets? (4)
What causes the death?
Primary pelvic nodes first, then para-aortic nodes (non-palpable).
Lung, other LNs, liver and bone.
Complications related to local tumor invasion rather than the mets.
Risk of metastasis of invasive cancers of the vulva is linked to: (3)
Size of primary tumor (<2 cm - 90% 5 year survival)
Depth of invasion
Lymphatic involvement
Describe the histological changes in the uterus during the following phases:
Proliferative phase
Early secretory phase
Late secretory phase
Menses
Proliferative phase: mitoses (rapid growth)
Early secretory phase: subnuclear vacuoles
Late secretory phase: stromal cell hypertrophy,
increased cytoplasmic eosinophilia (predecidual change)
Menses: stromal breakdown
What is dysfunctional uterine bleeding (DUB)?
What are 2 possible causes?
A clinical term for uterine bleeding that lacks an underlying organic (structural) problem.
Anovulatory cycle (most common)
Inadequate luteal phase
What can cause an anovulatory cycle? (3)
Endocrine disorders
Metabolic dysfunctions
Ovarian lesions (failure of ovulation caused excessive endometrial stimulation by unopposed estrogen).
What is the presentation of inadequate luteal phase?
Infertility with either increased bleeding or amenorrhea.
What can cause abnormal uterine bleeding in pre-puberty ages?
Precocious puberty (hypothalamic, pituitary or thyroid origin)
What can cause abnormal uterine bleeding in adolescent ages? (2)
Anovulatory cycle
Coagulation disorders
What can cause abnormal uterine bleeding in reproductive aged women? (3)
Complications of pregnancy
Anatomic lesions
DUB - anovulatory cycle, inadequate luteal phase (ovarian bleeding)
What can cause abnormal uterine bleeding in preimenopausal women? (2)
DUB - anovulatory cycle
Anatomic lesions
What can cause abnormal uterine bleeding in postmenopausal? (2)
Endometrial atrophy
Anatomic lesions
What is the cause of acute endometriosis?
Which agents? (2)
Where is the inflammation limited?
What is the treatment?
Bacterial infections that arise after delivery or miscarraige.
Grp. A hemolytic strep., staphylococci.
Limited to the stroma and is nonspecific.
Removal of retained gestational fragments and abx.
Which disorders can cause chronic endometriosis? (4)
PID
Retained gestational tissue, postpartum or post-abortion
IUD
Tb
What is needed on biopsy to diagnose chronic endometriosis?
Plasma cells in the stroma (not found in normal endometrium)
What is the definition of endometriosis?
Presence of “ectopic” endometrial tissue at a site outside of the uterus.