Bronchioloalveolar Carcinoma
Bronchioloalveolar Carcinoma
8; The arrows point to linear arrangements of neoplastic cells. € These cells have lined up on preexisting septae. € The alveoli are difficult to identify because they were not inflated with air prior to section. € The neoplastic cells have darkly hyperchromatic nuclei with abundant cytoplasm.


(Image Contrib. by:UCHC)(Description by: Melinda Sanders, M.D.)
T28000M82503
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Bronchioloalveolar Carcinoma
Etiology

• Unknown

• Resembles an infectious disease in sheep--Jagziekte


Pathogenesis

• Probably derives from terminal bronchiole alveolar complex


Epidemiology

• Affects patients from their 20^s and older

• Equal incidence in men and women

• 1-9% of lung cancers


Clinical

• Late symptoms if not discovered incidentally

• Occasional patients may have extensive mucinous secretions in diffuse disease

• Isolated lesions may be cured by surgery

• Metastatic disease appears late

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General Gross Description

• Peripheral single nodule (coin lesion) or multiple nodules

• May fuse into a diffuse involvement of lung

• If mucinous, may be gelatinous appearing grossly


General Micro Description

• Classically lines preexisting alveolar septae

• Tall columnar cells containing mucin (Clara cell like) or

• Columnar cells with extensive atypia and scattered mucin vacuoles


Reference

• Cotran RS, Kumar V, Robbins SL: Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease. 5th edition. Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders, 1994, pp. 725-6


• Current literature from PubMed at National Library of Medicine


Synopsis by: Melinda Sanders M.D., UCHC
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