Villoglandular adenocarcinoma of the cervix

Villoglandular adenocarcinoma of the cervix
Other names	Villoglandular papillary adenocarcinoma, papillary villoglandular adenocarcinoma, well-differentiated villoglandular adenocarcinoma (VGA)
Micrograph of a villoglandular adenocarcinoma the cervix. H&E stain.
Specialty	Pathology, gynecology

Villoglandular adenocarcinoma of the cervix is a rare type of cervical cancer that, in relation to other cervical cancers, is typically found in younger women and has a better prognosis.^[1]

A similar lesion, villoglandular adenocarcinoma of the endometrium, may arise from the inner lining of the uterus, the endometrium.^[2]

Signs and symptoms

The signs and symptoms are similar to other cervical cancers and may include post-coital bleeding and/or pain during intercourse (dyspareunia). Early lesions may be completely asymptomatic.^{[citation needed]}

Cause

Diagnosis

The diagnosis is based on tissue examination, e.g. biopsy.

The name of the lesion describes it microscopic appearance. It has nipple-like structures with fibrovascular cores (papillae) that are long in relation to their width (villus-like), which are covered with a glandular pseudostratified columnar epithelium.^{[citation needed]}

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  Very low magnification
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  Intermediate magnification
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  Very high magnification

Treatment

The treatment is dependent on the stage. As the prognosis of this tumour is usually good, fertility sparing approaches (conization, cervicectomy) may be viable treatment options.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Endometrial cancer
• Glassy cell carcinoma
• Villous adenoma

References