Kyung Ja Cho

Carcinosarcoma of the stomach

A carcinosarcoma of the stomach in a 66‐year‐old man is reported. The tumor which had a diameter of 4 cm was an ulcerofungating mass in the posterior wall of the antrum. Histologically it was composed of well‐differentiated adenocarcinoma admixed with sarcomatous elements which showed chondrocytic differentiation on light and electron microscopy. The sarcomatous areas were multifocally scattered in the central portion of the tumor and intimately blended with adenocarcinoma cells. CEA immunoreactivity was found not only in the adenocarcinoma but also in the transitional sarcomatous cells, supporting the hypothesis that this tumor might derive from mesenchymal metaplasia of a primarily epithelial neoplasm.

Monomorphic adenomas of the salivary glands. A clinico-pathologic study of 12 cases with immunohistochemical observation.

Twelve cases of monomorphic adenoma of the salivary glands were histologically reclassified and their immunohistochemical reactivity for S-100 and cytokeratin was correlated. All patients underwent a benign clinical course. Individual tumors were well encapsulated and frequently showed a focal cystic change. Histologically, 9 cases were of the epithelial basaloid cell type and 3 cases were of the myoepithelioma variant. About one half of the epithelial type featured a mixture of trabecular and tubular patterns. The immunoreactivity to S-100 and cytokeratin varied. All basaloid cell adenomas were positive for cytokeratin, while S-100 positivity was found mostly in the stroma along with the varied reaction and intensity in the epithelial nests. In myoepitheliomas, cytokeratin was totally negative and S-100 was positive in 2 of 3 cases. The above findings suggest that the degree of participation of myoepithelial cells determines the phenotypic expression of monomorphic adenomas, and supports the hypothesis that the basaloid cell and myoepithelial types may be located on extreme ends of the same tumor spectrum with a wide range of pleomorphic adenoma in-between.

Radiological prediction of the depth of invasion and histologic type in early gastric cancer

In cases of early gastric cancer (EGC), the depth of tumor invasion and histologic type are important factors in its prognosis. To predict the depth of invasion and histologic type by a double-contrast barium study of the stomach, 304 consecutive patients with EGC were analyzed, comparing barium study with pathologic findings. We predicted the depth of invasion and histologic type according to the lesion size, surface pat6ern, and surrounding mucosal pattern. The depth of tumor invasion was correctly diagnosed in 65.3% (66 of 101) of cancers limited to the mucosal layer (m), and in 59.1% (110 of 186) of cancers which have invaded to the submucosal layer (sm). The histologic type was correctly predicted in 78.9% (56 of 71) of a differentiated adenocarcinoma, and 73.1% (57 of 78) of an undifferentiated adenocarcinoma. Prediction of the depth of tumor invasion and histologic type was promising and showed good correlation to the pathologic findings.