抄録
Adenocarcinomas of the lung show a wide variety of histopathological findings in addition to diverse clinical malignancy and biological properties. This suggests that the pathological background of adenocarcinoma of the lung is not simple and varies largely depending upon individuals. Epithelial cells of the bronchoalveolar system consist of bronchial epithelial cells being the air-passage lining, alveolar epithelial cells, and glandular cells which form secretory glands. Carcinoma occurs in any of these cells. We resected 8 lung adenocarcinomas, which were presumed to originate from the bronchial glands. Morphologically, the characteristics of these tumors were as follows:
1) The sections of the tumors were homogeneous and ivory in color, milky and smooth.
2) Histologically, these tumors constituted both glandular and epidermoid features.
3) Usually, acinar or cribriform patterns, which filled with mucin, were seen in the glandular features.
4) Ultrastructurally, both glandular and epidermoid features were also seen in the neoplasm.
5) Many cells contained mucus granules in the cytoplasm and there occasionally existed inclusion bodies, the so-called “fibrillar inclusions”.
The clinical findings were as follows:
1) Roentgenologically, these tumors appeared as peripheral masses which are sometimes referred to as “coin lesions”.
2) The prognoses of the patients were relatively poor, but if recurrences occurred, they were slow growing and ran prolonged courses.
3) Metastases appeared mostly in the lung.
