OBJECTIVETo investigate the diagnostic pathological features of endometrial carcinomas present in women under 40 years of age (by curettage samples).

METHODSA retrospective analysis was performed on 20 cases of endometrial carcinomas in women under 40 years of age.

RESULTSThe patients included 18 endometrioid adenocarcinoma cases, one adenosquamous carcinoma case, and one papillary serous carcinoma case. The morphological features of the endometrial adenocarcinoaare loss of polarity (orientation) of the endometrial glands. The tumor cells have large round vesicular nuclei, prominent nucleoli and coarse chromatin. In addition, endometrial stroma was instead of by the fibrous and/or granulation tissue type stroma, usually with inflammatory response. Majority cases of endometrioid adenocarcinomas had superficial invasion of myometrium and no lymph node metastasis. The adenosquamous case metastasized to the ovaries and the papillary serous carcinoma case metastasized to the pelvic lymph nodes.

CONCLUSIONSEndometrial carcinomas which are highly differentiated endometrioid adenocarcinomas occur frequently in women under 40 years of age. An important differential diagnosis of the endometrioid carcinoma in a curettage specimen is to differentiate it from atypical endometrial hyperplasia and atypical polypoid adenomyoma.