title: Acinar cell carcinoma: a possible diagnosis in patients without intrapancreatic tumour.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acinar cell carcinomas of the pancreas are rare neoplasms. Usually diagnosed at an advanced stage, in general they are large solid pancreatic tumours with an average size of more than 10 cm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We report 3 cases of acinar cell carcinomas involving the peripancreatic lymph nodes, the liver hilum and the colon respectively, without clinical or pathological evidence of pancreatic tumours. These highly cellular neoplasms showed a predominantly acinar cell differentiation intermingled with a ductal component, with intracellular or extracellular mucin production by at least 25% of tumour cells. In addition, one case showed endocrine differentiation. Diffuse immunoreactivity for acinar enzymes trypsin and chymotrypsin was present in all cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The occurrence of acinar cell carcinomas outside the pancreas underlines the notion that acinar cell carcinomas may originate in extrapancreatic sites and probably develop from heterotopic or metaplastic pancreatic foci present along the biliary tract.
authors: Service d'Anatomie et Cytologie Pathologiques, Hôpital Cochin, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France. benoit.terris@cch.aphp.fr
authors: Benoît
authors: B
authors: Terris
authors: Muriel
authors: M
authors: Genevay
authors: Alexandre
authors: A
authors: Rouquette
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Audebourg
authors: Gilles
authors: G
authors: Mentha
authors: Bertrand
authors: B
authors: Dousset
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Rubbia-Brandt
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018267:Carcinoma, Acinar Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D002918:Chymotrypsin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D014357:Trypsin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D002918:Chymotrypsin; D014357:Trypsin