MINIMAL DEVIATION ADENOCARCINOMA OF THE CERVIX - A HYPODIPLOID TUMOR

Minimal deviation adenocarcinoma (MDA) of the uterine cervix is an ext remely well differentiated adenocarcinoma arising from the endocervix, with minimal morphological deviation from normal endocervical columna r epithelium. We performed DNA cytometric investigation using DNA imag e 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 anal ysis of all three cases of MDA revealed a hypodiploid stemline DNA val ue in the histograms of the measured cells and consequently the diagno sis 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 us eful as a diagnostic aid in doubtful cases of MDA. We find MDA is an a neuploid tumor with a hypodiploid stem cell subpopulation.