Gestational choriocarcinoma
Introduction
Malignant tumor derived from trophoblast.
Etiology, pathogenesis
50% cases of choriocarcioma arise in complete mole, 25%
follow normal term pregnancy, 25% follow spontaneous
abortion. Extremely rare are cases arising in ectopic pregnancy.
Clinical signs
- abnormal bleeding from uterine cavity in women of reproductive age
- there is a latent period from 1 month up to 2 years from the antecedent pregnancy
- hCG level is always elevated
- metastasatic disease with involvement of the lungs, brain and vagina occurs very early
- in 20% the primary in uterus undergoes complete necrosis and
only metastastatic foci are detected then
- metastatic disease may be the first clinical symptom — brain hemorrhage, hemoptysis
- incidence: 1 : 25 000 of recognized pregnancies
(5 women per year in the Czech republic)
- therapy: chemotherapy; choriocarcinoma was the first solid
neoplasm which was succesfully treated by chemoteraphy
- prognosis:
- excellent (5-year survival exceding 90% in metastatic disease)
- fertility can be saved in most cases; hysterectomy is an exceptional therapeutic procedure
Macroscopic appearance
Hemorrhagic nodule in the uterine cavity.
Histology
- dimorphic pattern
- neoplastic cytotrophoblastic and syncytiotrophoblastic
cells with prominent atypia
- no chorionic villi
- areas of bleeding and necrosis
- epithelial tumor (cytokeratin stains are positive)