Primary advanced gastric small cell carcinoma - A case report and review of the literature

We report a 73-yr-old man with primary advanced gastric small cell carcinom a, pure type. A large, Borrman type I tumor was located from the cardia to the entire gastric fundus and upper body. Atypical cells showed a round nuc leus, small nucleolus, dense to granular: chromatin, and scant cytoplasm. T he histological findings indicates an advanced stage and exposure to the ga stric serosa. Mitotic figures were observed. There was a proliferation of a sheetlike, solid pattern, but no rosette-like, sqamoid, or glandular patte rns. The neoplastic cells were positive for Leu-7 (CD57) and 123C3 (CD56, n eural cell adhesion molecule, NCAM) on the surface membrane. We diagnosed t his case as primary advanced gastric small cell carcinoma, pure type, and r eport that Leu-7 and 123C3 monoclonal antibodies are useful markers for gas tric small cell carcinoma. The 32 previously reported cases of gastric smal l cell carcinoma are also reviewed. (C) 1999 by Am. Cell. of Gastroenterolo gy.