Adenoendocrine cell carcinoma of the gallbladder: a histochemical and immunohistochemical study.
A case of adenoendocrine cell carcinoma of the gallbladder with adenomucous cells and neuroendocrine cells is reported. A histochemical and immunohistochemical study revealed that the primary tumor in the gallbladder was composed of mucus-secreting and/or argyrophil cells. Furthermore, the tumor showed a positive reaction to carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in all tumor cells, to chromogranin A and cytokeratin in many tumor cells, to endocrine granule constituent (EGC) in some tumor cells, and to serotonin and somatostatin in a few tumor cells. In addition, a few mucous cells showed argyrophilia and EGC-positivity in their cytoplasms. This case suggests that the adenoendocrine cell tumor is derived from endodermal stem cells as a result of bidirectional (exocrine and endocrine) differentiation.
Ohmori
T
T
Second Department of Pathology, Ehime University School of Medicine, Japan.
Furuya
K
K
Okada
K
K
Tabei
R
R
Tao
S
S
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D000368:Aged; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005706:Gallbladder Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000473:pathology*
D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D007633:Keratins