Microcystic, elongated, and fragmented pattern of invasion in relation to histopathologic and clinical prognostic factors in endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the association of microcystic, elongated, and fragmented (MELF) pattern of invasion with prognostic factors in endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma (EEA). Material and Methods: Stained tissue sections from 83 cases of EEA operated by the same gynecologic oncologist were reviewed to identifycases showing MELF-type invasion in this retrospective study. The association of MELF pattern with age, tumor grade, depth of myometrial invasion, and presence of lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) was analyzed. Results: FIGO grade 2 and grade 1 tumors were evident in 53.0% and 38.6% of patients, respectively. Depth of myometrial invasion was