Genomic profile analysis of leiomyomas with bizarre nuclei and fumarate hydratase deficient leiomyomas: Strengths, weaknesses, and limitations of array‐CGH interpretation

Abstract

A close relationship has been demonstrated between genomic complexity and clinical outcome in uterine smooth muscle tumors. We studied the genomic profiles by array‐CGH of 28 fumarate hydratase deficient leiomyomas and 37 leiomyomas with bizarre nuclei (LMBN) from 64 patients. Follow‐up was available for 46 patients (from three to 249 months, mean 87.3 months). All patients were alive without evidence of disease. For 51 array‐CGH interpretable tumors the mean Genomic Index (GI) was 16.4 (median: 9.8; from 1 to 57.8), significantly lower than the mean GI in LMS (mean GI 51.8, p < 0.001). We described three groups: (1) a group with FH deletion (24/58) with low GI (mean GI: 11 vs. 22,4, p = 0.02), (2) a group with TP53 deletion (17/58) with higher GI (22.4 vs. 11 p = 0.02), and (3) a group without genomic events on FH or TP53 genes (17/58) (mean GI:18.3; from 1 to 57.8). Because none of these tumors recurred and none showed morphological features of LMS we concluded that GI at the cut‐off of 10 was not applicable in these subtypes of LM. By integration of all those findings, a GI <10 in LMBN remains a valuable argument for benignity. Conversely, in LMBN a GI >10 or alteration in tumor suppressor genes, should not alone warrant a diagnosis of malignancy. Nine tumors were tested with Nanocind CINSARC® signature and all were classified in low risk of recurrence. We propose, based on our observations, a diagnostic approach of these challenging lesions.