Primary colorectal signet-ring cell carcinoma in young patients: report of 3 cases

Ileal signet-ring cell carcinoma with brain metastases: A case report

Background

Signet-ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) is a rare subtype of adenocarcinoma that frequently originates in the stomach. Uncommonly, this tumor can lead to brain metastases; an event rarely reported in the literature.

Case Description

A 76-year-old man with a history of cognitive impairment was diagnosed with two brain space-occupying lesions. A whole-body 18F-FDG PET/computed tomography scan revealed a hypermetabolic lesion in a segment of the ileum corresponding to mural thickening and an ulcerated lesion detected on colonoscopy. A brain biopsy, using an immunohistochemistry protocol, showed signet-ring cells with a pattern that suggested an intestinal origin. The diagnosis of SRCC brain metastases with an ileal origin was made, and a treatment protocol was designed. However, the patient rapidly deteriorated, and passed away shortly afterward.

Conclusion

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of an ileal SRCC with brain metastases.

Signet-ring cells in pleural and peritoneal effusions identified on Wright stains – A diagnostic pitfall

Objectives:

Signet-ring cells (SRCs) in effusion specimens represent a diagnostic challenge. In this study, a consecutive series of pleural and peritoneal effusions with benign SRCs are examined and compared with malignant SRCs.

Material and Methods:

We reviewed consecutive Wright-stained serous effusion slides and searched for cases with SRCs. Corresponding ThinPrep slides and clinical histories were reviewed. Cytology cases with known signet-ring adenocarcinoma were retrieved and reviewed.

Results:

Four hundred Wright-stained serous effusions were reviewed. Eighteen cases were identified with SRC-like cells. Thirteen patients had liver cirrhosis, three patients had end-stage renal disease, one patient had a history of pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and one patient had endometrioid carcinoma. For the latter two patients, the primary tumor showed no histologic findings of signet-ring features. In all cases, no SRCs were found on the corresponding ThinPrep slides. Five cytology cases with malignant SRCs were reviewed. Benign SRCs have a uniformly pale and markedly distended cytoplasm, and the nuclei are thin and curved. The malignant SRCs showed larger non-curved nuclei and bubbly mucin-containing cytoplasm.

Conclusion:

Mesothelial cells and histiocytes can mimic signet-ring adenocarcinoma cells on Wright-stained slides. Correlation with ThinPrep specimens is necessary before reporting, as the SRCs typically are not present in ThinPrep preparations.

Metastatic Gastric Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma Mimicking Crohn's Disease

Signet-ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) is an adenocarcinoma characterized by mucin-producing cells and most commonly arises in the stomach. Colonic SRCC can share features of colitis, including long segments of concentric bowel wall thickening and ulcerated mucosa with regions of sparing. We describe a rare case of metastatic gastric SRCC mimicking Crohn’s disease. Our patient underwent 2 colonoscopies, and biopsies revealed chronic active inflammation with no evidence of malignancy. The diagnosis of SRCC was only made after colectomy was performed for recurrent bowel obstruction.

Significance of signet-ring cells in patients with colorectal cancer

PURPOSE

We performed a retrospective study to determine the pattern of metastases and overall outcome of patients with tumors exhibiting a component of signet-ring cells comprising < 50 percent of the tumor mass.

METHODS

Medical records of 753 patients with primary colorectal cancer were retrospectively studied. Patients who had tumors with < 50 percent signet-ring cells were classified as having a component of signet-ring cells. The outcome of patients with a component of signet-ring cells was compared to all patients with mucinous adenocarcinoma (defined as adenocarcinomas with > or = 50 percent mucin) to all patients with adenocarcinomas with a component of mucin (defined as adenocarcinomas with < 50 percent mucin) and to 100 randomly selected patients with adenocarcinomas lacking mucin or signet-ring cells.

RESULTS

Five percent of patients had a component of signet-ring cells, 3 percent had mucinous adenocarcinoma, 9 percent had a component of mucinous adenocarcinoma, and 83 percent had adenocarcinoma lacking mucinous or signet components. Patients with a component of signet-ring cells and mucinous adenocarcinomas metastasized predominantly to the peritoneum/ovaries (75 and 56 percent of metastatic cases, respectively) and rarely to liver/lungs. The pattern of metastases of patients with adenocarcinoma without mucinous or signet components predominantly involved the liver/lungs and rarely the peritoneum/ovaries (12.5 percent). The pattern of metastases for patients with a component of mucinous adenocarcinoma was intermediate between mucinous adenocarcinoma and adenocarcinoma without mucin or signet-ring component. No differences in survival in Stage IV patients were seen among the four subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with a component of signet-ring cells cancers, similar to mucinous adenocarcinoma, have a predisposition to metastasize to the peritoneum/ovaries.

Tonsillar metastasis revealing signet-ring cell carcinoma of the rectum

A 45-year-old man presented with a tonsillar tumor and rectal syndrome. Histology specimens revealed signet-cell adenocarcinoma of both the tonsils and rectum. The clinical course was rapidly degenerated with multiple metastases in the skin and bones. Tonsil metastasis is rare and generally develops from primary gastric or colorectal cancer, predominantly poorly-differentiated or signet-ring cell adenocarcinomas.

Primary linitis plastica carcinoma of the colon accompanied by peritoneal abscess

We describe the case of a 75-year-old woman with linitis plastica carcinoma of the colon, accompanied by a peritoneal abscess, in which the use of transabdominal sonography enabled prompt detection and diagnosis. Sonographic examinations revealed diffuse wall thickening with blurred layer stratification in the ascending colon. The irregular outer margin of the affected area was surrounded by thickened pericolic fat. A peritoneal abscess covered by the omentum was also found. CT confirmed these findings. We extensively resected the right half of the colon. Histopathologic examination of the excised segment of the colon revealed a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with fibrotic infiltration. The patient was discharged 6 weeks postoperatively, and chemotherapy was begun, but she was lost to our follow-up. Although linitis plastica carcinoma of the colon is rare, it must be considered when patients have extensive colonic wall thickening with blurred layer stratification and an irregular outer margin surrounded by thickened pericolic fat. Transabdominal sonography should be considered the imaging modality of choice for the detection and diagnosis of this disease entity.

Primary colorectal signet-ring cell carcinoma in Singapore

BACKGROUND

Primary colorectal signet-ring cell carcinoma is a rare but distinctive tumour of the colon and rectum. The clinicopathological features are still controversial. The aim of this study is to review the clinicopathological features and management of this type of tumour in our hospital.

METHODS

The clinicopathological features and survival data of all cases of primary colorectal signet-ring cell carcinoma were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTS

There were nine cases of primary colorectal signet-ring cell carcinoma in 3000 consecutive colorectal carcinoma patients seen from 1989 to 1999. There were seven male and two female patients with a mean age of 54.7 years. Three patients were younger than 40 years. The common presenting symptoms were rectal bleeding (33%) and small bowel obstruction (33%). Two (22%) patients required emergency surgery due to acute small bowel obstruction. The most common tumour location was the right colon (44%) followed by the rectum (33%). All nine patients presented at a very late stage of disease. A majority (77%) had Dukes' C disease while two (22%) had Dukes' D disease with distant dissemination. Peritoneal spread (33%) was the most frequent way of dissemination. There was no patient with liver metastases at the time of diagnosis and initial presentation. The mean survival time was 30 (range 5-108) months. The 5-year survival rate was 12%.

CONCLUSIONS

Primary colorectal signet-ring cell carcinoma is frequently diagnosed late with a very poor prognosis. A high incidence of peritoneal seeding and low incidence of liver metastases appears to be a characteristic of signet-ring cell carcinoma of the colon and rectum.

CT features of primary colorectal signet-ring cell carcinoma

PURPOSE

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the CT features of 15 patients with primary colorectal signet-ring cell carcinomas.

METHOD

We retrospectively reviewed the CT scans of 15 patients (mean age 44 years) with pathologically proved colorectal signet-ring cell carcinoma. On CT, we evaluated the site and length of the tumor, bowel wall thickening patterns, perirectal or pericolic infiltration, the presence or absence of colonic obstruction, and metastasis to other organs.

RESULTS

The tumors were located in the rectum in nine patients, the sigmoid colon in one, the hepatic flexure in one, the transverse colon in one, the ascending colon in two, and the cecum in one. The tumor length ranged from 4.0 to 10.0 cm (mean 6.1 cm) with mean thickness of 2.1 cm. CT showed concentric bowel wall thickening in all patients ("even" in 8 and "uneven" in 7), target appearance was noted in 4, perirectal or pericolic infiltrations were moderate to severe in 12, and colorectal obstruction was seen in 6. In the tumor spread patterns, lymphadenopathy was noted in 13, invasion to adjacent pelvic organs in 5, peritoneal carcinomatosis in 4, liver metastasis in 2, and periureteric metastasis in 1.

CONCLUSION

Primary signet-ring cell colorectal carcinoma should be included for differential consideration when CT shows a long length of concentric bowel wall thickening and target sign, especially when such findings occur in the rectum and in young patients.

Ordinary colorectal adenocarcinoma vs. primary colorectal signet-ring cell carcinoma: study matched for age, gender, grade, and stage

PURPOSE

This study contributes to the characterization of primary colorectal signet-ring cell cancer in contrast to ordinary colorectal carcinoma. Primary colorectal signet-ring cell cancer is a rare but distinctive primary neoplasm of the large bowel with still-controversial clinicopathologic features.

METHODS

Clinicopathologic features and survival data are evaluated in comparison with those of the ordinary colorectal adenocarcinoma (non-signet colorectal carcinoma) in a retrospective study matched for age, gender, grade, and stage.

RESULTS

In a series of 1,600 consecutive colorectal cancer patients since 1979, 14 patients (0.88 percent) with a signet-ring cell cancer were identified. Gender ratio was balanced, and mean age was 67.5 years. The majority of patients had an advanced tumor stage at the time of diagnosis (57.1 percent Stage IV and 35.7 percent Stage III). Median survival time was only 16 months. In a study matched for age, gender, grade, and stage, a lower survival rate was found for patients with signet-ring cell cancer, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. In contrast to non-signet colorectal carcinoma, signet-ring cell cancer was characterized by a significantly higher incidence of peritoneal tumor spread (64.3 percent) and a lower incidence of hepatic metastases (14.3 percent).

CONCLUSIONS

Signet-ring cell cancer represents a rare but distinctive primary neoplasm of the large bowel. It is frequently diagnosed in an advanced tumor stage, thus showing an overall poorer prognosis than nonsignet colorectal carcinoma. Usually only palliative surgery is possible. A high incidence of peritoneal seeding and a low incidence of hepatic metastasis is characteristic of signet-ring cell cancer.

Signet-ring cell carcinoma of the colon and rectum: a matched control study

PURPOSE

There is little information comparing signet-ring cell carcinoma to common non-signet-ring cell colon and rectal cancers. The aim of this study was to better define the clinicopathologic differences between these two distinct entities.

METHODS

Using a prospective database of 5,350 surgical patients with rectal cancers operated on at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center between 1986 and 1997, 46 patients with signet-ring cell carcinoma were identified. Signet-ring cell carcinoma lesions were those in which signet-ring cells constituted more then 50 percent of the tumor. Six patients who presented with recurrent disease were excluded from the study. Control patients were matched for age, gender, TNM stage, primary site, procedure, and adjuvant therapy. Age, primary site of the tumor, stage at presentation, and survival times of patients with signet-ring cell carcinoma were also compared with 3,371 patients with primary non-signet-ring cell rectal cancers. Survival was calculated using Kaplan-Meier survival estimates.

RESULTS

Mean age of the signet-ring cell carcinoma group was 59 +/- 12 years and median age was 61 (range, 20-91) years. Male-to-female ratio was 1.1:1. Lymphatic and peritoneal spread was more common among the signet-ring cell carcinoma group. Approximately one-third of signet-ring cell carcinoma patients presented with metastatic disease. Mean survival time of the signet-ring cell carcinoma group was 45.4 months (95 percent confidence interval, 26.9-63.8) compared with 78.5 months (95 percent confidence interval, 62.0-94.9) for the control patients group; P = 0.02 by the log-rank test. The cumulative survival curve of patients with signet-ring cell carcinoma resembles that of patients with poorly differentiated rectal cancers.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with signet-ring cell carcinoma of the colon and rectum have a worse prognosis compared with matched controls with the same stage of disease.

Characteristics in primary signet-ring cell carcinoma of the colorectum, from clinicopathological observations

BACKGROUND

The biological behavior of signet-ring cell carcinomas in colorectum tends to be worse than that of mucinous carcinomas. However, in previous studies, clinicopathological features of this disease have been somewhat ill-defined because various histological criteria of this disease were adopted.

METHODS

We selected 11 cases of signet-ring cell carcinomas and 29 cases of mucinous carcinomas among 1595 consecutive colorectal carcinomas on defined criteria and compared clinicopathological and molecular biological features between these two types of carcinomas.

RESULTS

Clinical staging of signet-ring cell carcinomas were far advanced and their prognosis tended to be worse than that of mucinous carcinomas. Furthermore, the incidence of K-ras mutations in signet-ring cell and mucinous carcinomas showed no difference between these two types of carcinomas. However, the incidence of K-ras mutation in these diseases was slightly lower than that in 30 ordinary colorectal carcinomas examined as a comparison.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that the carcinogenesis of signet-ring cell and mucinous carcinomas are different from that of ordinary colorectal carcinomas and that there may exist other genes related to malignancy of signet-ring cell carcinomas.

Endoscopic ultrasonography in rectal linitis plastica

BACKGROUND

Rectal linitis plastica (RLP) is a rare tumor with a poor prognosis. RLP can be a primary tumor, secondary to gastric linitis, or a metastatic form of breast or prostate carcinoma. Diagnosis is difficult because of nonspecific clinical and endoscopic findings and frequent negative biopsies (50%). The aim of this study was to evaluate the endosonographic appearance of RLP and to study the usefulness of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in the follow-up of patients with RLP.

METHODS

Twenty-two video-recorded EUS examinations performed in 11 patients with histologically proven RLP were retrospectively studied. Response to conservative treatment was evaluated in three patients with secondary RLP.

RESULTS

In every case of RLP, EUS showed a circumferential thickening of the rectal wall (mean 13 mm); the thickening was mainly seen in the submucosa and the muscularis propria. In nine cases EUS showed signs of locoregional involvement (perirectal fat infiltration [n = 6], ascites [n = 5], lymph nodes [n = 3]) which was not seen by CT. In follow-up evaluations, EUS showed a lack of response to treatment in two patients with RLP secondary to gastric linitis. In the remaining patient with RLP secondary to breast carcinoma, EUS at first showed no response. The chemotherapy protocol was modified, and then improvement became evident at EUS.

CONCLUSIONS

RLP shows typical features of rectal EUS that may assist in the diagnosis of this rare disease. Moreover, EUS can be useful in evaluating the response of this disease to treatment.

Primary signet-ring cell carcinoma of the colon and rectum

BACKGROUND

Primary signet-ring cell carcinoma of the colon and rectum is a rare form of adenocarcinoma of the large intestine. The purpose of this study was to help better define the natural history of this entity.

METHODS

The medical records of 3,690 patients with colorectal cancer seen at The Roswell Park Cancer Institute between September 1971 and December 1993 were reviewed. We report on 29 patients with pathologic confirmation of primary signet-ring cell carcinoma. Patient demographics, clinical, and histologic parameters were evaluated. Survival was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

There was a nearly equal distribution of primary signet-ring cell carcinoma between the right colon and left colon/rectum. In most cases the tumors were > 6 cm, ulcerated, and involved the full thickness of the bowel wall. Nodal or metastatic disease was present in 21 of 29 patients (72%) at the time of diagnosis. Four patients (14%) had synchronous colorectal adenocarcinomas. Twenty-two patients died of disease progression. At the time of death, two patients (9%) had failed in the liver, whereas all 22 patients had peritoneal carcinomatosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with primary signet-ring cell colorectal carcinoma frequently present with late-stage disease. In 23 of 29 patients, the disease rapidly recurred or progressed. Peritoneal carcinomatosis is the most common pattern of failure.

Primary signet-ring cell carcinoma of the colon and rectum

PURPOSE

Colorectal signet-ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) is uncommon; discordant data have been previously reported about clinicopathologic features. Thirty-four cases of primary colorectal SRCC were retrospectively reviewed to clarify controversies.

METHODS

Primary colorectal SRCC was diagnosed when the following criteria were satisfied: 1) the tumor was primary; 2) histologic material was adequate; 3) signet-ring cell represented more than 50 percent of the cancer.

RESULTS

We identified 34 cases (1.1 percent) of 2,995 consecutive large bowel cancers collected at the Institute of Anatomic Pathology of Florence between 1985 and 1993. Patients ranged in age from 31 to 89 (mean, 63.5; median, 65) years; 19 were male, and 15 were female (male:female = 1.3:1). Fifteen tumors were located in the proximal colon, 11 in the rectum, and 8 in the distal colon. The gross shape was infiltrative in 24 cases and exophytic in 10; only 6 cases (17.6 percent) showed features of linitis plastica. Most cancers (61.8 percent) were Stage C, 29.4 percent were Stage B, and distant metastases were present in only three cases (8.8 percent). No Stage A case was found. Prognosis was extremely poor, and overall five-year survival rate was 9.1 percent. Survival was influenced significantly by tumor stage (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Comparison of our data with the literature showed many differences that could be related to different applied diagnostic criteria. We underlined the importance of histology as reproducible criterion for diagnosis of primary colorectal SRCC.

Linitis plastica of the colon: computed tomography findings

Primary linitis plastica of the colon is a rare entity and its radiographic findings have been described previously in the literature. We present the computed tomography findings of this unusual lesion and briefly review its pathogenesis.

Mucinous carcinoma of the rectum

We have studied and compared 316 mucinous and 45 signet ring cell carcinomas of the rectum with 413 non-mucinous carcinomas. Mucinous carcinomas were subdivided according to the amount of mucus which was gauged subjectively as either more or less than 75% of the tumour volume. Five year survivals for non-mucinous, mucinous (less than 75%), mucinous (greater than 75%) and signet ring cell carcinoma were 62%, 60%, 53% and 13%. Mucinous carcinomas (less than 75%) were relatively well differentiated and showed an age distribution identical to their non-mucinous counterparts, but differed in their strong association with villous adenoma. Mucinous carcinomas (greater than 75%) were less well differentiated and, like signet ring cell carcinomas, occurred in younger patients and showed no special association with villous adenoma. Clinically important and independent predictive variables were found by the method of multivariate regression analysis to be number of lymph node metastases, extent of spread in continuity, character of invasive margin and peritumoural lymphocytic infiltration. After adjustment for these factors, typing of rectal cancer as mucinous, non-mucinous and signet ring cell gave no additional, clinically useful prognostic information.

Mixed crypt cell carcinoma. A clinicopathological study of the so-called 'goblet cell carcinoid'

The clinicopathological features of six appendix and five bowel tumours with features of the so-called 'goblet cell carcinoid' are described. By light microscopy, these tumours were composed predominantly of mucous cells, together with variable proportions of endocrine and Paneth cells. Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural study confirmed this impression and no amphicrine cells were seen. The clinical course of all cases arising in the bowel, and three out of six appendix tumours was characterised by an aggressive behaviour with the development of widespread lymphatic and often intraperitoneal metastasis, but liver metastasis occurred in only one instance. We conclude, both from this study and from a review of the literature, that the 'mixed crypt cell carcinoma' forms a distinct clinicopathological entity justifying separate classification from adenocarcinoma and carcinoid tumour.