부산대학교 도서관

Adenocarcinoma that originates from bronchioloalveolar area of the lung is known not only to indicate various morphological features but also to take different biological behaviours. The purpose of this study is to make cellular patterns of the adenocarcinoma clear using imprint cytology method.Fifty-three cases, consisting of 39 surgical cases, six autopsy cases, and eight biopsy cases, were included. Imprint smear specimens were produced directly from these materials and each specimen was stained with Papanicolaou's, PAS, and Alcian Blue staining method. Histological diagnosis of the adenocarcinomas were well differentiated type in 25 cases (group A), moderately differentiated type in seven (group B), poorly differentiated type in six (group C), alveolar cell type with tall columnar cellular patterns in 12 cases (group D), and signet ring cell type in three (group E).The carcinoma cells in the imprint smears showed:(1) Neither cellular shape or arrangement was common.Cellular atypism was the least prominent in group D and E, (2) Nuclear folding or indentation was observed in 40% of group A, 57% of group B and 83% of group C. It increased according as the differentiation became immature, (3) chromatin was less in group D, (4) nucleoli were either small or minimal in size to be identified in the total cases and also positive in 100% of group D and E. Most cells stained granular. Alcian blue stain was positive in 70% of the total specimens and superficially positive, and (9) morphometry of the adenocarcinoma cells did not show any significant difference among these groups.Nuclear surface area was small in group D, and minimal in group E.N/C ratio was small in group D and minimal in group E.