Primary small cell carcinoma of the endometrium: report of a case with immunochemical studies

Abstract

Background: Small cell carcinoma (SCC) is a well-known tumor that occurs predominantly in the lung. These tumors may also occur in the female genital tract, where it occurs most commonly in the cervix. Primary SCC of the endometrium is extremely rare. We report a case of an endometrial tumor that was a combination of an SCC and endometrioid adenocarcinoma with squamous components and that penetrated half of the thickness of the uterine wall.

Case: A 59-year-old, postmenopausal woman suffering from postmenopausal bleeding presented for care. The patient underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and pelvic and paraaortic lymph node dissection, followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Immunohistochemical studies showed neuroendocrine differentiation with positive CD 56, chromogranin and synaptophysin markers.

Conclusion: Immunohistochemical analyses are helpful in diagnosing and differentiating primary SCC of the endometrium from benign and malignant diseases of the endometrium.