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

To investigate the association of microcystic, elongated, and fragmented (MELF) pattern of invasion with prognostic factors in endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma (EEA). Stained tissue sections from 83 cases of EEA operated by the same gynecologic oncologist were reviewed to identify cases 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. FIGO grade 2 and grade 1 tumors were evident in 53.0% and 38.6% of patients, respectively. Depth of myometrial invasion was