Complex endometrial hyperplasia

Complex endometrial hyperplasia
Diagnosis in short
Complex endometrial hyperplasia. H&E stain.
Site	endometrium - see endometrial hyperplasia
Associated Dx	obesity
Clinical history	usu. premenopausal or perimenopausal
Symptoms	abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB)
Prevalence	common
Clin. DDx	dysfunctional uterine bleeding (diagnosis of exclusion), endometrial carcinoma, atrophy

Complex endometrial hyperplasia
External resources
EHVSC	10169 10181 (CEH with atypia)

Complex endometrial hyperplasia, abbreviated CEH, is a relatively common pre-malignant pathology of the endometrium.

It is generally subdivided into complex endometrial hyperplasia without atypia and complex endometrial hyperplasia with atypia.

General

• Usually premenopausal or perimenopausal women.
• Associated with obesity.
• High risk of transformation to endometrial carcinoma especially when with atypia.

Microscopic

Features:

• Increase in size & number of glands + irregular shape - key feature.
• Cell stratification.
• Nuclear enlargement.
• Mitoses common.
• +/-Nuclear atypia:
  • Round nuclei ~ 2-3x the size of a lymphocyte.
  • Grey/translucent chromatin.
  • Nucleoli.

Notes:

• Normal "gland-to-stroma ratio" is 1:3.
• Two "touching" glands may be one gland in section.
• Atypical nuclei often hide between non-typical nuclei, like peg cells in the fallopian tube.

DDx:

• Endometrioid endometrial carcinoma - see endometrial carcinoma versus complex endometrial hyperplasia.

Endometrial carcinoma versus complex endometrial hyperplasia

Complex endometrial hyperplasia:

• Non-confluent - glands distinct from one another.

Classic criteria for endometrial carcinoma

This is pimping material that shows up on exams.

Endometrial carcinoma has one of the following:

1. Desmoplastic stromal response.
2. Confluent cribriform growth. †
3. Extensive papillary growth. †
4. Severe cytologic atypia. †

Note:

• † There is a size cut-off for criteria 2, 3 and 4: > 2.1 mm.

How to remember ABCDE:

• Atypia Bad.
• Confluent cribriform growth.
• Desmoplasia.
• Extensive papillary growth.

Images

Complex endometrial hyperplasia:

• 

  CEH - low mag.

• 

  CEH - intermed. mag.

• 

  CEH - high mag.

Squamous morules - commonly associated with hyperplasia and malignancy:

• 

  SM - high mag.

• 

  SM - very high mag.

• 

  SM - extremely high mag.

Fused glands suggestive of CEH in a polyp:

• 

  Endometrial polyp with fused glands - low mag. (WC)

• 

  Endometrial polyp with fused glands - intermed. mag. (WC)

• 

  Endometrial polyp with fused glands - high mag. (WC)

www:

• Endometrial hyperplasia (webpathology.com).
• Complex endometrial hyperplasia with atypia (webpathology.com).

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Complex endometrial hyperplasia without atypia

ENDOMETRIUM, BIOPSY: 
- COMPLEX ENDOMETRIAL HYPERPLASIA.
-- NEGATIVE FOR CYTOLOGIC ATYPIA. 

ENDOMETRIUM, BIOPSY:
- SMALL FOCUS OF COMPLEX ENDOMETRIAL HYPERPLASIA WITHOUT ATYPIA, WITH
  SQUAMOUS MORULES.
- ENDOMETRIAL POLYP WITH ONE ATYPICAL GLAND AND A SQUAMOUS MORULE.
- SCANT ENDOCERVICAL EPITHELIUM WITHOUT APPARENT PATHOLOGY.

Complex endometrial hyperplasia with atypia

Insufficient confluence for carcinoma

ENDOMETRIUM, BIOPSY: 
- COMPLEX ENDOMETRIAL HYPERPLASIA WITH ATYPIA, SEE COMMENT. 

COMMENT: 
The sections show architecturally complex crowded glands with focal 
morular squamous metaplasia and focal cribriforming.  Desmoplasia 
is not identified. The degree of gland confluence is not considered 
sufficient for the diagnosis of endometrial carcinoma. Nuclear atypia 
is present focally.

Insufficient extent for carcinoma

ENDOMETRIUM, BIOPSY: 
- COMPLEX ENDOMETRIAL HYPERPLASIA WITH ATYPIA, SEE COMMENT. 

COMMENT: 
The sections show architecturally complex back-to-back glands with focal 
morular squamous metaplasia and cribriforming. Desmoplasia is not present. 
The extent, i.e. the size of the abnormality, is not considered sufficient 
for the diagnosis of endometrial carcinoma.

See also

• Endometrial hyperplasia.
• Endometrial carcinoma.
• Gynecologic pathology.