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Vol.39 No.6 contents | Japanese/English |
- Original Article -
Specific Tumor Development of Goblet Cell Type Mucus-Producing Adenocarcinomas of Lung
Takashi Eto, Harumi Suzuki*, Atsuro Honda and Shinichiro Ohota**Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shizuoka General Hospital, *Clinical Research and Laboratory of Aichi Prefectual Hospital, **Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shizuoka General Hospital
To elucidate the specific tumor development process of goblet cell (GC) type mucus-producing adenocarcinomas of the lung, 15 patients were studied histologically, morphometrically, radiographically and clinicopathologically. The GC adenocarcinomas form a small central fibrosis mainly of the collapsed elastotic framework, where collagenization is rare. From the initial stage of the tumor growth, the tumor cells showed widespread replacement growth of intermittent patterns along the non-reactive alveolar septa, coexisting with the floating growth in the luminal mucus retention. Furthermore, as the tumor grows, mucus retention makes characteristic overstreched or disrupted alveolar walls to form cavitation. Image analysis disclosed that the elastic framework in alveolar extension was identical or overstreched compared with the normal alveolar walls. Radiographic characteristics depended on the tumor size, whether over 3 cm or not in diameter. In general, the recurrence occurred in cases with larger tumors (over 3 cm in size), and were almost all restricted to the lungs. These results indicated that GC adenocarcinomas show characteristic growth with specific tumor stroma due to mucus production and may develop into bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma within the specific sub-type of lung adenocarcinoma, different from most non-mucus producing type adenocarcinomas.
key words: Goblet cell type lung adenocarcinoma, Mucus-producing adenocarcinoma, Bronchioloalveolar carcinoma, Tumor stroma
Received: May 26, 1999
Accepted: August 18, 1999
JJLC 39 (6): 813-820, 1999
