Mesonephric-Like Adenocarcinoma of the Endometrium: Diagnostic Advances to Spot This Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing. A Review of the Literature

Abstract

Mesonephric-like adenocarcinoma is a recently described rare neoplasm occurring in the uterine corpus and ovary. This under-recognized subtype of carcinoma can be very challenging to diagnose. In mesonephric adenocarcinoma a variety of growth patterns can be present within the same tumor, as a result of which they can be misinterpreted and diagnosed as low-grade endometrioid adenocarcinoma, clear cell carcinoma, or even serous carcinoma and carcinosarcoma. We report a case of mesonephric-like adenocarcinoma misdiagnosed as a low-grade endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma that had an early local recurrence and metastasized to the liver and the lungs. Histopathological, immunohistochemical and molecular analysis were performed and compared to published literature, providing a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge. Databases (Pubmed, Web of Science, Google Scholar) were searched with a combination of the following search terms: mesonephric-like, mesonephric, adenocarcinoma, carcinoma, uterine body, uterine corpus, endometrium. Mesonephric-like adenocarcinoma is a difficult-to-diagnose entity. Advanced diagnostics, including improved morphologic, immunohistochemical and molecular knowledge can help develop new therapeutic strategies against this specific subtype of endometrial cancer with an aggressive clinical behavior.