PRIMARY YOLK-SAC TUMOR OF THE ENDOMETRIUM - A CASE-REPORT AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

A 49-year-old woman was admitted with abnormal vaginal bleeding of 5 m onths duration. Hysteroscopy showed polypoid formations in the uterine cavity. Biopsy of a polyp revealed an anaplastic malignant tumor. A t otal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and iliac lymph adenectomy were performed. A polypoid soft white-yellowish tumor origi nated from the endometrium. The biopsies plus sections of the operativ e specimen were histologically similar and displayed typical features of yolk sac tumor (YST) with tubulo-papillary pattern. Schiller-Duval bodies and PAS-positive, diastase-resistant, hyaline droplets were pre sent. There was no neoplastic involvement of the cervix, ovaries, and iliac lymph nodes. Tumor cells and hyaline globules were strongly immu noreactive with a-fetoprotein antibody. The patient refused chemothera py and was subsequently treated by external radiotherapy. The patient remained free of disease 28 months after surgery. There are only four additional cases of primary YST of the endometrium reported in literat ure. On the basis df the small number of cases reported, such tumors a ppear to have clinical and pathological features similar to their ovar ian counterparts, (C) 1998 Academic Press.