Adipocyte Atrophy Mimicking Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma of the Gallbladder

Signet ring cell morphology may result from a variety of causes and ranges from a benign reactive phenomenon to being indicative of highly aggressive malignancy. Benign epithelial signet ring cell change is well described in a variety of tissues, but nonepithelial signet ring cell change is a rare m...

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Main Authors: Benjamin van Haeringen, Leo Francis, Emily Olive, Daniel James
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Pathology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/4676885
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author Benjamin van Haeringen
Leo Francis
Emily Olive
Daniel James
author_facet Benjamin van Haeringen
Leo Francis
Emily Olive
Daniel James
author_sort Benjamin van Haeringen
collection DOAJ
description Signet ring cell morphology may result from a variety of causes and ranges from a benign reactive phenomenon to being indicative of highly aggressive malignancy. Benign epithelial signet ring cell change is well described in a variety of tissues, but nonepithelial signet ring cell change is a rare morphologic adaptation of adipose tissue principally described in the setting of cachexia. The location of these atrophic adipocytes outside the plane of normal epithelial layers may raise concern for invasive or metastatic malignancy, and consideration of a benign reactive process is critical to avoid catastrophic overdiagnosis and overtreatment. Further, this change is itself associated with significant mortality related to the underlying cachexia and may be important to highlight to treating clinicians. Compared to malignant signet ring cell carcinoma, benign signet ring cell change is more likely to retain normal lobulated architecture without mass formation, lack significant atypia, have myxoid stroma with a prominent capillary network, and show positive staining S100 protein with negative staining for cytokeratins and mucin. To our knowledge, we present the first described case of nonepithelial signet ring cell change involving the gallbladder, detected as an incidental finding following routine cholecystectomy in an elderly cachectic man.
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spelling doaj-art-037dd014f4034decb9b40cebab9bcc992025-02-03T01:25:24ZengWileyCase Reports in Pathology2090-679X2021-01-01202110.1155/2021/4676885Adipocyte Atrophy Mimicking Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma of the GallbladderBenjamin van Haeringen0Leo Francis1Emily Olive2Daniel James3Pathology Queensland Central LaboratoryPathology Queensland Central LaboratoryDepartment of General SurgeryPathology Queensland Central LaboratorySignet ring cell morphology may result from a variety of causes and ranges from a benign reactive phenomenon to being indicative of highly aggressive malignancy. Benign epithelial signet ring cell change is well described in a variety of tissues, but nonepithelial signet ring cell change is a rare morphologic adaptation of adipose tissue principally described in the setting of cachexia. The location of these atrophic adipocytes outside the plane of normal epithelial layers may raise concern for invasive or metastatic malignancy, and consideration of a benign reactive process is critical to avoid catastrophic overdiagnosis and overtreatment. Further, this change is itself associated with significant mortality related to the underlying cachexia and may be important to highlight to treating clinicians. Compared to malignant signet ring cell carcinoma, benign signet ring cell change is more likely to retain normal lobulated architecture without mass formation, lack significant atypia, have myxoid stroma with a prominent capillary network, and show positive staining S100 protein with negative staining for cytokeratins and mucin. To our knowledge, we present the first described case of nonepithelial signet ring cell change involving the gallbladder, detected as an incidental finding following routine cholecystectomy in an elderly cachectic man.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/4676885
spellingShingle Benjamin van Haeringen
Leo Francis
Emily Olive
Daniel James
Adipocyte Atrophy Mimicking Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma of the Gallbladder
Case Reports in Pathology
title Adipocyte Atrophy Mimicking Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma of the Gallbladder
title_full Adipocyte Atrophy Mimicking Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma of the Gallbladder
title_fullStr Adipocyte Atrophy Mimicking Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma of the Gallbladder
title_full_unstemmed Adipocyte Atrophy Mimicking Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma of the Gallbladder
title_short Adipocyte Atrophy Mimicking Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma of the Gallbladder
title_sort adipocyte atrophy mimicking signet ring cell carcinoma of the gallbladder
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/4676885
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AT leofrancis adipocyteatrophymimickingsignetringcellcarcinomaofthegallbladder
AT emilyolive adipocyteatrophymimickingsignetringcellcarcinomaofthegallbladder
AT danieljames adipocyteatrophymimickingsignetringcellcarcinomaofthegallbladder