Clinicopathological characteristics of gastric-type endocervical adenocarcinoma misdiagnosed as an endometrial, ovarian or extragenital malignancy, or mistyped as usual-type endocervical adenocarcinoma

Background/Aim: The diagnosis of gastric-type endocervical adenocarcinoma (GEA) is challenging because its differential diagnosis includes not only gynecological tumors, but also extragenital tumors. Patients and Methods: We reviewed the electronic medical records and all available slides to investigate the clinicopathological characteristics of eight misdiagnosed GEA cases. Results: Three tumors were initially misdiagnosed as endometrial carcinoma. They displayed extensive endomyometrial involvement and complex glandular architecture, but no severe nuclear pleomorphism. Another three tumors were misclassified as usual-type endocervical adenocarcinoma because of mucin-poor, pseudoendometrioid glands, apical mitotic figures, and karyorrhectic debris. The two remaining tumors presenting as adnexal masses mimicked primary ovarian mucinous tumor and metastatic cholangiocarcinoma. Conclusion: The varying pathological characteristics of GEA reflect the variability in clinical manifestations and its diagnostic difficulties. It is challenging to make an accurate diagnosis based solely on histological features. When suspecting GEA, clinicians should consider more comprehensively the clinicopathological context, along with immunostaining results.