Comparison of Clinicopathological and Prognostic Characteristics Between Minimal Deviation Adenocarcinoma and Gastric-type Endocervical Adenocarcinoma

Background/Aim: Minimal deviation adenocarcinoma (MDA) is an extremely well-differentiated variant of gastric-type endocervical adenocarcinoma (GEA). This study compared the clinicopathological and prognostic characteristics of MDA to those of GEA. Patients and Methods: Nine MDAs and 22 GEAs were included in this study. We reviewed electronic medical records and pathology slides to collect clinicopathological and prognostic information. Results: GEA showed significantly higher stage at presentation, more frequent parametrial extension and lymphovascular space invasion, and recurrence than MDA. Patients with GEA had significantly lower survival rates than those with MDA. None of the cases with MDA exhibited singly dispersed or clustered tumor cells, diffuse stromal desmoplasia, severe nuclear pleomorphism, loss of nuclear polarity, or coarse chromatin, all of which were frequently observed in GEA. Conclusion: Significant differences were observed in the clinicopathological characteristics and patient outcomes between MDA and GEA. Further investigations using a larger cohort are warranted to determine the clinical behavior and aggressiveness of MDA.