Stomach
Neuroendocrine tumors
NET G1 variants
Author: Elliot Weisenberg, M.D.
Last author update: 1 August 2012
Last staff update: 2 October 2020
Copyright: 2003-2023, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Enterochromaffin-like cell neuroendocrine tumors
Related Topic: NET G1 (carcinoid tumor)
Table of Contents
Clear cell variant | ECL cell variant (Enterochromaffin-like cell neuroendocrine tumors) | Gastrin producing variant | Case reports | Gross description | Microscopic (histologic) descriptionCite this page: Weisenberg E. NET G1 variants. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/stomachcarcinoideclcellnets.html. Accessed November 28th, 2023.
Clear cell variant
- EM: dense core neurosecretory granules
ECL cell variant (Enterochromaffin-like cell neuroendocrine tumors)
- Tropic effect from gastrin, related to long standing elevated gastrin levels from gastrinoma or gastric gastrin cells responding to achlorhydria
- Multiple, polypoid, throughout fundus
- Usually associated with ECL cell hyperplasia and may be difficult to distinguish from hyperplasia
Gastrin producing variant
- Solitary, usually in antrum, more common in duodenum
- Positive for gastrin staining but gastrin staining in the absence of sequelae of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome is insufficient to diagnose
- ACTH producing NET is very rare
Case reports
- 75 year old woman with tumor composed entirely of clear cells with foamy cytoplasm (Arch Pathol Lab Med 1997;121:1100)
Gross description
- Clear cell variant: yellow, resembles gastric xanthoma
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Clear cell variant: uniform clusters of polygonal cells with foamy cytoplasm; abundant vascular stroma; Chromogranin A positive
- ECL cell NETs: smooth muscle proliferation, associated with atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia
