Secretory carcinoma of the endometrium: An unusual pattern

Abstract

Secretory carcinomas of the endometrium are uncommon tumors representing only 1–2% of endometrial carcinomas and have received very little attention in the literature. These are usually grade 1 tumors architecturally and cytologically. We report a case of secretory carcinoma endometrium in a 42-year-old woman presenting with irregular vaginal bleeding and underwent a hysterectomy revealing secretory carcinoma endometrium. The histological features of secretory carcinoma are reminiscent of normal early secretory endometrium (17–22 days), displaying a well differentiated glandular pattern having columnar cells with subnuclear or supranuclear vacuolization containing clear glycogenated cytoplasm. It is extremely important to distinguish secretory carcinoma from clear cell carcinoma in view of the excellent prognosis of the former and the unfavorable prognosis of the latter.