MINIMAL DEVIATION ADENOCARCINOMA OF THE CERVIX - A HYPODIPLOID TUMOR

Minimal deviation adenocarcinoma (MDA) of the uterine cervix is an extremely well differentiated adenocarcinoma arising from the endocervix, with minimal morphological deviation from normal endocervical columnar epithelium. We performed DNA cytometric investigation using DNA image analysis in three cases of MDA. For the diagnosis of DNA aneuploidy, we used a combined method of single cell and stemline interpretation of DNA histograms. The most significant finding is that DNA image analysis of all three cases of MDA revealed a hypodiploid stemline DNA value in the histograms of the measured cells and consequently the diagnosis of DNA aneuploidy (DNA index: 0.63, 0.88, and 0.63, respectively). On the basis of our results, we believe that DNA image analysis is useful as a diagnostic aid in doubtful cases of MDA. We find MDA is an aneuploid tumor with a hypodiploid stem cell subpopulation.