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Gastric signet ring cell carcinoma
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Gastric signet ring cell carcinoma is a stomach cancer recognized by how its cells look under the microscope. Each cell is filled with mucin, a mucus-like substance, and that buildup pushes the nucleus, the cell's control center, off to one side. The shape left behind looks like a signet ring, with the stone set to one side.
These cells show up in the diffuse-type tumors of the Lauren classification, which sorts gastric cancer into two broad groups, diffuse and intestinal. Under the microscope, the diffuse type shows highly aberrant cells that barely form glands. This has a practical consequence: to the naked eye there may be no mass at all, because the tumor infiltrates widely through the submucosa and leaves a stomach that does not distend and loses its folds, an appearance called linitis plastica.
In brief
Signet ring cells are recognized by the mucin in their cytoplasm and by the nucleus pushed off to one side.
Mucin fills the cell and pushes the nucleus against the edge, like the stone set to one side of a signet ring.
They show up in the diffuse-type gastric tumors of the Lauren classification, with highly aberrant cells and little or no gland formation.
To the naked eye this cancer may form no mass: it infiltrates the submucosa and leaves a stomach without folds, linitis plastica.
Sources (1)
- NCBI Bookshelf, U.S. National Library of MedicineGastric Cancer (StatPearls)Published
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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