CARCINOSARCOMA OF THE UTERUS WITH EXTENSIVE NEUROECTODERMAL DIFFERENTIATION

A case of uterine carcinosarcoma with extensive neuroectodermal differ entiation occurring in a 54-year-old woman is described. Microscopical ly, the endometrial tumour was predominantly composed of a sheet-like proliferation of small- and medium-sized cells. These cells were chara cterized by fibrillary cytoplasmic processes, rosette-like formations, perivascular palisading patterns, and immunoreactivity for glial fibr illary acidic protein, synaptophysin, leu 7 and neuron-specific enolas e. in limited areas, features of conventional carcinosarcoma, includin g squamous cell carcinoma, leiomyosarcoma and islands of the above men tioned small- to medium-sized cells that were intermingled, were obser ved. The tumour was aneuploid by flow cytometry. The patient is alive with tumour for three months. It is suggested that at least some cases of uterine primitive neuroectodermal tumour may be explained by one-s ided neuroectodermal development within a carcinosarcoma.