Leiomyoma of the Uterus

This hysterectomy specimen shows a large, solitary leiomyoma in the fundus, distoring the endometrial cavity into a Y shape by splaying and pressing it downwards.

Because of its unusual appearance (solitary, bright yellow, and soft), I was worried about its being a leiomyosarcoma. All of the numerous sections I took, however, showed an utterly bland neoplasm with no mitotic activity. It does make a colorful subject for the camera.

The photo was taken with a Nikon FE2 on Kodak Elite daylight film, ISO 100, with blue filter to compensate for the tungsten illumination. The specimen was formalin-fixed but later soaked in 70% alcohol to return some of the native coloration. Alcohol also helps to partially dehydrate the specimen, so that, after blotting the cut surface right before taking the photo, essentially all the distracting highlights can be eliminated.

Photograph by Ed Uthman, MD. Public domain. Posted 13 May 00

---

[Back to image table of contents]

[To Ed Uthman's Home Site] for more original
resources in pathology and laboratory medicine