Table of Contents
Definition / general | Case reports | Microscopic (histologic) description | Microscopic (histologic) imagesCite this page: Jain, D. Signet ring cell carcinoma. PathologyOutlines.com website. http://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/pancreassignet.html. Accessed April 21st, 2018.
Definition / general
- Extremely rare, usually aggressive, poorly differentiated invasive adenocarcinoma with malignant glandular cells having nuclei pressed to one side by intracytoplasmic mucin (IARC: 8490 / 3 Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma [Accessed 15 December 2017])
- Must exclude breast or GI primary
Case reports
- 30 year old man (Ultrastruct Pathol 1998;22:147)
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Poorly cohesive epithelial cells containing intracytoplasmic mucin that displaces nuclei towards periphery
- Infiltrates as single cells; variable extracellular mucin
- Resembles mammary lobular carcinoma and gastric carcinoma with targetoid pattern, signet ring cells, linear infiltration